In Love's Shadows
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When an accident at the Twelfth Division results in Byakuya becoming pregnant, Ichigo steps up to marry his lover. But Renji, who has unwittingly impregnated Byakuya's cousin, Tetsuya, struggles to remain faithful. When Renji has an affair that ends in disaster for Tetsuya, all four men learn the true meaning of love and family...yaoi, mpreg
1. Wicked Concoctions

**In Love's Shadows**

 **By Spunky0ne**

 **Chapter 1: Wicked Concoctions**

"Nemu!" Kurotsuchi Mayuri snapped from where he leaned over the body of a naked and recently deceased quincy, "Have you gotten the readings from the laboratory study on that sample we took from this subject?"

"It just came back, sir," Nemu answered calmly, "I have it here."

"Well, don't keep it to yourself," the twelfth division taichou said, snatching the file, "I want to know why that compound he secreted had the effect it did on those two technicians he attacked. Oh, and have _they_ done anything else surprising?"

"No sir. After they...after _the event we witnessed_ , the compound faded from their systems. They are back to normal, except..."

"Except what?"

"Except the female technician is showing signs of impregnation."

"What? How?" Mayuri mused, "Usually, even after copulation, conception takes somewhat longer."

"This compound seems to quicken the bonding and heighten the fertility of the ones touched by it."

"Augh! I am not interested in stupid love potions!" the scientist complained, "What kind of power is this? And what was it that exploded and killed his victims? There must be more to this. I want some answers, not some silly love potion!"

"It appears that the secretion, while not deadly in and of itself, is highly reactive. The pheromones in it are powerful, so they overcome the victims, making them oblivious to all but a desperate need for sexual release. Then, while they are occupied with that, the compound destabilizes and becomes combustive."

"It explodes?" Kurotsuchi said, his eyes widening with interest, "Now, that is more like it! Take more samples from this barrel of secretion I extracted from him. Hurry it down to the laboratory and begin additional testing to confirm the results. Just take that barrel with you."

"Sir, I don't know if moving..."

"I didn't ask you to _think_ , you imbecile!" Kurotsuchi steamed, kicking the barrel over and watching it roll in her direction, "Get out of here and stop bothering me!"

"Neither of you are to do anything further with that quincy or the contents of that barrel," said a deep, commanding voice.

Mayuri turned, preparing to unleash a seething retort, but found himself under the dark gazes of the sixth division taichou and the newly confirmed Shiba heir.

"What're you up to, you freak?" Ichigo asked, scowling warningly, "I know that your soutaichou ordered all quincy bodies destroyed and all of the living were locked up in Muken."

"We have been sent to retrieve this unregistered quincy and to confiscate any research you have done, by order of Central 46," Byakuya added

"This is preposterous!" Mayuri railed, moving forward and slamming a hand down on the barrel.

He started to say more, but paused, staring as the barrel rumbled fitfully under his palm and the reiatsu around them began to rise swiftly.

"You ignorant _fools_! Now look what you've done!" Mayuri said scathingly, flash stepping away alongside Nemu, "Get out before it...!"

The rest of his words were drowned out as the barrel rumbled again so hard that it rattled against the floor, then exploded. Ichigo caught a flash image of a barely visible male form and the fierce rise of another reiatsu as a huge wall of ice rose up against the swelling eruption of reiatsu, fire and debris. He wrapped an arm around Byakuya's slender waist, taking the two of them to the floor and under cover as the ice wall shattered, and the person behind it was thrown back violently, then swallowed up by the reiatsu and flame.

A second heavy eruption nearly tore Byakuya from his grasp and sent the two tumbling out of control, then sent debris flying at them. A flash of pink petal blades deflected the incoming projectiles, then flickered and disappeared. Ichigo found his singed body collapsed partially on top of Byakuya's better protected, but now unconscious form.

"Byakuya! Byakuya, are you okay?" the shinigami substitute cried, leaning over the motionless taichou and patting his face gently, "Hey, Byakuya!"

He verified swiftly that the noble had a steady pulse and that he was breathing, then lifted him carefully and began to work his way cautiously forward. Small fires burned all around him, the smoke making him cough and blink his stinging eyes as he carried the unconscious taichou towards an area that looked less damaged. He emerged through a broken section of wall just as a flurry of flash steps sounded and a group of shinigamis arrived.

"Renji!" Ichigo called, picking out the tall redhead in the group.

"Taichou!" Renji yelled, flash stepping to Ichigo as the Shiba heir laid the noble on the ground, and Byakuya stirred and groaned, "Taichou, are you okay?"

"F-fine...I am all right," Byakuya whispered unsteadily.

"I'm not so sure about that," Ichigo said, smiling down at his battered friend, "You got knocked around a bit."

"I'll be fine," Byakuya said stubbornly.

He grabbed Renji's sleeve and glared up at his fukutaichou.

"Renji, my cousin is inside."

"Your cousin?" Renji queried, frowning.

"H-he is my bodyguard and healer. His name is Tetsuya. He protected Ichigo and me from the explosion."

"Are you sure he's still gonna be alive?" Ichigo asked, remembering the nearly invisible form that had protected them, "He took that blast head on. He disappeared into it."

"He used a waterform."

"A waterform?" Renji repeated curiously.

"He was in a waterform, an almost invisible copy of himself. He uses them frequently to shadow me. He may have been injured in the explosion, but he probably had a waterform nearby to shift into so that he could escape the worst of the blast, but then still be close enough to evacuate me. I need you to find him."

"That's going to be impossible," Mayuri's mocking voice snapped, "Even if he did survive the initial blast, that area is unstable. It could all come down at any time. Sending anyone in there before it's stabilized is going to just going to make more victims."

The building behind him groaned ominously, as though to punctuate the words.

"I can't leave him in there," Byakuya insisted, trying to sit up, only to be pushed gently down again by Ichigo.

"You're hurt," the Shiba heir scolded him affectionately, "Stay down and let me take care of it."

"Well, don't blame me if you die in there...although, I would _love_ to examine your corpse if you do die, so don't stop on my account," Mayuri snickered.

"Stay here," Ichigo repeated, "I'll go and find your cousin, okay?"

"I think you should stay with Taichou until the healers get here," Renji suggested, "You do that and I'll go in and look for Tetsuya."

"You shouldn't go in there alone," Ichigo objected, "It's really unstable!"

"Heh, _you're_ the one who's unstable," Renji chuckled dismissively, "Just shut up and take care of Taichou, okay? Zabimaru can protect me if the building comes down."

"They'll still have to take hours to dig you out," Ichigo said, scowling, "Just be careful, okay?"

With another unconcerned chuckle, Renji flash stepped forward, then paused and carefully picked out a path into the damaged section of the twelfth division laboratory. He skirted around piles of smoking debris, flash stepping to avoid more that fell from above or that shifted suddenly around him. The smoke still stung his eyes and throat, but had dissipated enough to allow him to peer into the areas around him and search for the missing noble. Ominous creaks and groans issued around him, and he heard panicked voices in the distance. After a bit of searching, Renji paused and took a sip of water, then moved forward again. A metallic shriek sounded above him and he flash stepped wildly to avoid that falling debris, then tripped and tumbled forward, landing almost on top of a collapsed person half buried in a pile of broken boards and tumbled rock.

"Crap!" he muttered, starting to turn towards the unconscious person.

A sound of dismay escaped him as more creaks and groans sounded, then the remaining hulk of wood, metal and rock began to tumble down on them.

"Bankai!" the redhead shouted, making the hulking body of his skeletal snake wrap around the two of them, protecting them as the rest of the building collapsed.

He coughed several times on the soot and dust that seeped into the protected area, then settled and turned his attention to the collapsed shinigami he had found.

"Ugh!" he muttered, grimacing at the gooey muck that was splashed all over the young man's skin, "I don't think I wanna know what that stuff is. I hope it's not one of his creepy poisons, cause it's all over me now, too. I hope you appreciate this," he went on, pulling the shingami free and briefly examining the man's bruised and smudged, but still very lovely face.

He searched the unconscious man's body for serious wounds and found none, so turned his attention to cleaning some of the sticky muck off their skin. He removed a washcloth from a small pack he carried and dampened it with water from his flask, then he used it to clean and cool his unconscious charge's face. The young man stirred and groaned unhappily, his eyes cracking open and freezing Renji for a moment with how large, blue and completely enchanting they were.

"You've gotta be the cousin Taichou was talking about right?" Renji surmised, "You're Kuchiki Tetsuya?"

"Yes," the blue-eyed man confirmed, sitting up slowly, then reeling and leaning heavily against Renji's kneeling form, "S-sorry!"

"It's okay," Renji said amiably, "Looks like you got knocked for a loop."

"I'll be fine," Tetsuya answered, trying to straighten slightly, then flinching and clenching his teeth as his hand sought his midsection.

"I think you might have cracked a couple of ribs," Renji said, easing him down onto his back again, then beginning to infuse the area with healing reiatsu, "Don't try to get up again, all right?"

"Hmmm," the noble managed, nodding briefly, "It's not like I could go anywhere."

He looked around and frowned at the serpentine body that enclosed them.

"This your snake. Zabimaru."

"Yeah," Renji confirmed, following the path of the other man's eyes, then smiling as Tetsuya's blue eyes found him again, "The building gave way, so we're under a pile of crap and probably will be for a bit while they dig us out. Unless...Taichou said you use waterforms. Could you get us out of here?"

"Unfortunately, my waterforms must be set in advance," Tetsuya explained, "But the concussion from the explosion shattered all but the one I used to escape death. I am afraid we will have to wait."

"That's a pain in the ass," the redhead commented, shaking his head, "but it doesn't look like you're hurt too bad and I'm fine, so we can just wait it out. And I have to admit I'm pretty curious. Are you the person I've sometimes sensed around Taichou? I think I might have seen you once or something."

"I'm not meant to be seen," Tetsuya answered, "It gives me the element of surprise if my protection is ever needed by Byakuya-sama."

"Well, that makes sense. So, you use waterforms as cover? They hide you?"

"I use the waterforms for moving about with stealth," Tetsuya went on, "But they are also useful when set on the battlefield. I can shift between them to position myself to attack, or to escape injury."

"Doesn't look like you completely escaped injury this time," Renji chuckled.

"I can escape without injury if hit once," the noble explained, "But if hit twice in quick succession or with a concussive blast that strikes in a sudden, sustained burst of power, I will be damaged even if I do escape into another waterform. It is a complex power."

"Looks like you couldn't escape the gunk you got covered with either," Renji said, smiling and wiping more of the mess from Tetsuya's pale throat and partially bared shoulder.

He started to go on, then realized all at once that Tetsuya was blushing.

"Sorry," Renji said, handing the washcloth to the noble, then sitting down in front of him as he continued to wash the offending fluid away.

"It's fine," Tetsuya assured him, "I am just...not used to being touched by anyone but Byakuya-sama, by my attendant, or our clan healer."

"Sorry," the redhead said again.

"You were just being kind," Tetsuya said, smiling back at him, "And you were probably honoring my leader's request for you to find and evacuate me, ne?"

"Yeah, he did ask me to come after you," Renji confirmed.

"Was he hurt?" Tetsuya asked, looking concerned.

"He was out cold for a little bit, but he's okay," the redhead answered, feeling a warmth inside at the concern in the young noble's pretty eyes.

"That's good," Tetsuya sighed, relaxing slightly, "Thank you, Abarai-san, both for protecting me and for the reassurance."

"No problem."

Tetsuya studied himself unhappily for a moment, then concluded he probably couldn't remove any more of the fluid that had splashed onto him, and he set the washcloth down. He tried to think of something to say to the redhead, but found his mind suddenly blank. The redhead, too, seemed somewhat at a loss for words.

"You got a deck of cards?" Renji joked, making Tetsuya smile shyly again.

"No, I am afraid not," the noble replied, the blush on his face deepening.

"I guess we'll just have to entertain ourselves," Renji sighed, smirking, "Know any good show tunes?"

"Not really, no. It's all right, Abarai-san, you don't need to..."

"My name's Renji," the redhead corrected him affably, "and I feel like we should already be a little familiar with each other, because we both protect Taichou. Just relax a little, okay? We're gonna be here for a while."

"So it seems," Tetsuya agreed.

"Sorry I don't have a pack or anything to use as a pillow, but you can lean against me if it's more comfortable."

"I don't want to impose," Tetsuya said, the blush returning to his face and throat.

"Well, everything else around here is hard as a rock, so you won't be able to rest probably," the redhead replied, biting at his lips as he realized what he had said.

He was tactful enough not to exacerbate the situation by apologizing.

"Come here," he offered, slipping an arm carefully around the injured noble and coaxing Tetsuya into leaning against his side, and resting his head wearily on the redhead's shoulder.

He slid his hand down and continued to infuse Tetsuya's damaged ribs with healing reiatsu. The noble remained slightly stiffened for a few moments, then relaxed, lulled by the redhead's warmth and pleasant, masculine scent. Renji found himself likewise attracted to the lightly mingled scents of sakura and leather that lingered around Tetsuya's tumbled waves of black hair and partially hidden face. Not one to usually spend much time holding still or being quiet, Renji began to nod off, and soon he and the exhausted noble were asleep.

Outside the collapsed building, a large team of shinigamis worked tirelessly, digging their way through the tangle of cracked and broken boards, pieces of tables, chairs and computer equipment and tumbles of stone and shattered glass. They honed in on the steady throb of Renji's reiatsu that held Zabimaru's snake form around the trapped fukutaichou, while within the snake's coil, something odd began to happen.

Flickers of strange white light rose on Tetsuya's resting form, emerging from the traces of the quincy's secretion that remained on his skin. Likewise, where Renji had come into contact with the fluid, his flesh glinted and pulsated, the flashes of light falling into the cadence of each man's heart and altering them until the two were paced together. Their eyes opened, but remained unfocused and blank as Tetsuya's head turned and his lips were claimed roughly by the senseless redhead's. Their hands hastily worked to loosen their clothing, then strong, tattooed arm dragged Tetsuya onto Renji's lap.

Renji's amorous mouth swallowed the cry of pain the noble made as his body was claimed, then not waiting, the two gave in to the overwhelming urge to seek completion. Clenching at the redhead's shoulders, Tetsuya's body rose and fell and he emitted heated moans and sighs that were immediately and luxuriantly consumed by the other man as the two writhed against each other. One of Renji's hands wrapped around the noble's white back, encouraging the continuation of his powerful undulating movements, while the fingers of his other hand sank into Tetsuya's silken black hair, the softness of it making the redhead's heart pound wildly. Their mouths bit almost violently at each other as the pleasant friction between them brought them to the edges of bliss.

Groans of intense pleasure filled the small, protected space the two occupied as hot seed erupted onto their bodies and Renji's scathing heat filled Tetsuya. They remained joined and resting against each other until sleep overtook them again and they collapsed into a tangled heap.

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised breath as he woke some time later to find the redhead still asleep on top of him. His face pale and his eyes wide, he extracted himself carefully, then sat for a moment, panting with shock and watching Renji closely. The redhead remained in a deep sleep, seemingly oblivious.

 _I don't know how this happened! I wonder if he does._

Swallowing hard, the noble set his clothing back in place, then moved to Renji's side and tried to rouse him. The redhead snorted in his sleep, but failed to respond.

 _What should I do?_

He considered for several minutes, then moved forward and cleaned away the traces of their unplanned joining. He fastened Renji's cloths back in place, then withdrew to the far side of the protected area, watching as the redhead snored and turned uncomfortably on the hard floor. When his eyes finally opened, they looked around for Tetsuya and found him sitting on the other side of the enclosure.

"What are you doing all of the way over there?" Renji asked, smiling at him, "Were you scared away by my snoring?"

"No," Tetsuya answered tentatively, "I am just...uncomfortable in close spaces."

 _He doesn't remember what happened either?_

"Yeah, I don't like them much either," the redhead agreed, "And even if not, they'd better get me out of here. I have a date tonight."

 _That's right. When I investigated Abarai-san, I did find that he is popular and doesn't commit himself to anyone. If anything does come of...of what happened because of my being a breeder, I doubt that he would be interested in finding himself encumbered with a permanent partner and a family._

 _I will just hope that I don't conceive._

 _I don't know if I can after my injury and losing Naoki's baby before. It's probably fine, and there is no reason to say anything. Obviously, we weren't in control of ourselves, but we seem fine now. I will just see Michio when I get home to be sure._

"You okay?" Renji asked suddenly, stealing Tetsuya out of his thoughts.

"I am fine," he assured the redhead, "And I am grateful to you for rescuing me, Abarai-san. I couldn't have protected myself from the collapsing building while I was trapped. I would have been crushed."

"Naw, you would've found a way to survive," Renji laughed, "Taichou wouldn't entrust himself to you if you weren't savvy enough to do that."

 _He has that same loving kindness as Naoki, but he is relaxed in a way that Naoki couldn't be, because of us being locked up in the prison._

"Hey, I think I hear something."

 _It's probably better that he doesn't suspect anything happened. He seems quite content with his life as it is._

"Renji!" called a familiar male voice, "You okay down there?"

"I'm fine!" Renji called back, "But I'd be a hell of a lot better if you guys would give us a hand outta here!"

"You found Tetsuya?" called Byakuya's deeper voice.

"Yeah, he's okay. We're both fine," the redhead said, standing and sealing his power.

Tetsuya came to his feet, watching silently as the great snake retracted, then gazing upward to where stars lit the dark sky overhead and black forms surrounded the edges of the opening their rescuers had made for them.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya sighed in relief at seeing his cousin, "I am glad you are all right."

"I am glad you are all right too, watashi no itoko," Tetsuya responded wearily, "I want to go home."

"You should be able to escape now," Byakuya said, extending a hand and waiting as Tetsuya backed up slightly, then engaged his flash step, carrying him upward to where the clan leader the clan leader helped him scramble to safety, while behind him, Renji positioned himself, then followed behind him. They stood at the top, looking back down in the place they had been trapped.

"Thank you, Abarai-san," Tetsuya said, smiling at the redhead, "I know I said it before, but I really am grateful to you for rescuing me."

"I appreciate you doing that as well," Byakuya added, "But why don't you go on now. I know you had plans for tonight."

"But there's going to be a debriefing and reports, and..."

"Go, Renji," Byakuya snapped sternly, "I will see to it."

"I think you'd better do what he says," Ichigo laughed, earning a soft glare out of the corner of the clan leader's dark eye, "He looks pretty serious."

"Are you really all right, Tetsuya?" Byakuya asked, still sounding concerned.

"I am fine," Tetsuya assured him, "And I will see the clan healer as soon as we arrive at the manor."

He climbed onto the back of a tall black stallion that had appeared near them and watched as Renji disappeared into the distance.

 _Why do I feel so very warm inside..._

 _Yet my heart feels like ice?_


	2. Wandering

**Chapter 2: Wandering**

 **(Sorry for the lack of posts for the past few days. I took off on a mountain vacation and got sick the first day with a horrible cold, so no hiking, riding or swimming. Just lots of Nyquil and bed rest. Today was the first day I felt more like writing, but editing was all I could manage. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing. I will catch up on shout outs next chapter! :) Have a great day! Love, Spunky)**

"O-oh!" Hisagi Shuuhei panted, tilting his head back and raising his hips to encourage the continuance of his red haired lover's intense exploration of his nether region, "R-renji...so...so good!"

Enthusiastic fingers added to the sinful pleasure that Renji's devouring mouth was causing and sent his handsome comrade's mind into a dizzying spin as he climaxed violently. And before he could recover even slightly, the pleasure deepened into near madness as he was flipped onto his belly and invaded from behind for a barrage of heavy, deep thrusts that left him bereft of speech and even thought as the two collapsed together. For a time, only their recovering breaths sounded, then Renji gave his lover a little kiss on the forehead, grinning at his contented expression.

"You good now?" Renji chuckled, "Not bothered about that bullshit from before?"

"What bullshit from when?" Hisagi snickered, nipping at the redhead's lips and setting off a sleepy exchange of wet, finishing kisses, "I forgot."

"Good."

Renji slipped out of the bed and wrapped his yukata around his lanky body, turning towards the kitchen. Hisagi watched as he left the room, then looked out the window at the stars, thinking quietly as he waited for his friend to return.

 _How am I supposed to tell him?_

 _I hope he's not mad._

When the redhead re-entered the room, he quickly read the change in his comrade's eyes and frowned slightly.

"Uh-oh, you remembering that bullshit from before already? Do I need to distract you some more?"

"Naw, I wasn't thinking about that," Hisagi said, accepting a glass of icy water from the redhead and sighing happily as he slaked his thirst, "There's just something I need to talk to you about and I hope you won't be angry about it."

"Angry about what?"

Renji sat down on the bed and Hisagi curled comfortably into his arms, surrendering to several more long, open-mouthed kisses before taking a steadying breath and going on.

"I was talking to Kira yesterday...you know, about everything."

"Yeah?" Renji urged him, smiling knowingly, "So, what's happening there?"

"Ah, well, you know the situation with the quincies had us looking back at everything a little differently and thinking about it, I've been worrying a lot about losing him again."

"Hmmm," Renji sighed, nuzzling into the other man's shoulder and breathing in his warm, masculine scent, "So, you want to settle down?"

Hisagi hesitated and shrugged.

"It's not a bad idea," he reasoned, "We found a really great house to settle down in...and Kotetsu fukutaichou put us in touch with someone who might be able to help us have a baby of our own!"

"What? Really? How's that?" Renji asked curiously.

"Well, she was saying that a long time ago, and Kira assured me it's true, that after the first attack by the quincies a thousand years ago, many of the women and children were killed. Then, this scientist told the council he could alter some of the males so that they could get pregnant!"

"What? You're kidding me, right?" Renji laughed.

"No! No bullshit," Hisagi assured him, "There used to be a lot of them. But after a while, they weren't needed for that anymore, and the noble's council finally voted to end the practice and let these male 'breeders' die out naturally. There was some scandal about some noble purists killing a lot of them and there are only a few left, but Isane-san says that she may be able to find one who can help or that maybe Urahara Kisuke can do something to help us if she can't."

"Wow!" Renji said, grinning, "That's something. You sound like you're really ready to do this."

"Yeah," Hisagi affirmed, blushing, "I just didn't know how to talk to you about it, since we've been having so much fun together. But, you know, I don't mind so much the idea of an exclusive. I feel like I've found the right person. I'm really excited about this. I hope you're not mad."

"Mad?" Renji chuckled, giving him a long, warm wet kiss, "Why would I be mad? You're happy, right? Kira's happy. I'll miss this, sure. But I told you when we got involved that I wouldn't be jealous. We didn't have much time for jealously, down in the lower Rukon, you know? Relationships didn't last very long, mostly, so what was the use of being serious? It's different, here in the Seireitei, of course, but this crap with the quincies only reminded me that nothing's guaranteed."

"Hey, it's not all that bad," Hisagi said, lacing their fingers together.

"No," Renji agreed, "not all of it."

"Is it because of that girl you told me about...the one that was pregnant with your kid and...?"

"Yeah, kinda, I suppose," Renji sighed, "But that was a long time ago. I'm not making that mistake again. Still, I'm glad for you and Kira."

"You are?"

"Yeah, just because I don't want to be exclusive doesn't mean I can't be happy for my friends who are."

"You'll have plenty of company, even without me," Hisagi laughed softly, "I saw that hottie you were dancing with the other night, that guy from Squad Three."

"Hiromi?" Renji asked, smiling, "He's adorable. A little shy, but there's nothing wrong with that."

"And there's always Yumi and Ikkaku..."

"Hey," Renji laughed, "You don't need to worry about it. I'm good. I don't need help with my love life! I'm happy the way I am."

"I know. I just was worried."

"Well, don't be."

"You want to be our best man?" Hisagi asked, making the redhead pause and then laugh nervously.

"You sure Kira wants that? I know he wasn't thrilled you were still sleeping with me sometimes. I don't want to make trouble."

"You won't be making trouble," Hisagi assured him, "What better way to show you're okay with this than to be a part of it? And who knows, maybe if you see how happy we are, you'll change your mind and want a family for yourself."

"Asshole!" Renji laughed playfully, "I told you, I don't need fixing!"

He gave his friend a long parting kiss and left him lying on the rumpled bedding.

"You take care, all right? Call me and let me know what I need to do for the wedding."

"I will."

Renji left the apartment and started back towards his own, then paused to think for a moment and instead, took the stairs leading down to the first floor, where he exited the building and walked out into the pre-dawn chill. The stars still commanded the black sky overhead and he stood looking up into them for a while, his mind returning to the lower Rukongai and a time he would rather forget.

 _"What did you want to tell me, Tsuru?"_

 _He smiled at the pretty blush on the blue-eyed woman's face as she grinned up at him._

 _"The healer was in town today. Renji-san, he said that I'm going to have a baby!"_

The redhead shoved the memory away quickly and turned towards the nearby pub.

 _Not going back there._

 _What's the good in doing something like that?_

XXXXXXXXXX

 _Master, are you sure that you're all right? Your reiatsu seems weak._

"I'm just tired," Tetsuya assured the stallion, patting him on the neck and smiling, "Go on, now. Makoto's got a nice warm mash for you to enjoy, and I am off for home as soon as I check one more area."

 _Shouldn't I go with you?_

"Get out of here, will you?" Tetsuya chided the tall Arabian, swatting him affectionately on the rump, "That means I want to be alone for a little while, baka!"

 _I'd say you were rude, but that mash sounds wonderful._

"Go enjoy it, then. I'll be back in a bit."

He watched as Arashi galloped away, then turned his attention to the reiatsu traces he had been following. He continued along the path and out of the manor grounds, onto a rural street, then into town. He paused in a little park, looking around, but finding no more hints of the hollow he had sensed before.

"Well, whatever it was, it is no more concern," he sighed sleepily, "Best start for home."

He started to turn back, but stopped and inhaled in surprise as a shooting star blazed across the sky.

 _"What was that, Naoki?" he asked breathlessly, staring up at the sky and blinking._

 _"Oh! It's very lucky!" Naoki exclaimed, slipping an arm around Tetsuya's slim waist and pulling him close, "It's a shooting star. You make a wish on it, and your wish will come true."_

 _"Oh," Tetsuya said, his smile fading._

 _"What is it?" Naoki asked, giving him a little kiss on his unhappy lips._

 _"I missed it. I didn't get to wish for anything," Tetsuya said sadly._

 _"That's all right," Naoki said brightly, "I wished for both of us."_

 _"You did?"_

 _"Mmhmm," Naoki affirmed, "I wished that Byakuya-sama would rescue us, and that we could go and live in a little house of our own and raise this baby together._

 _"How did you have time to wish all of that before it went out? Will it all come true?"_

 _"Shh, don't worry," Naoki whispered into his ear, one hand sliding down to caress the small bump on his abdomen, "Our dreams will come true, Tetsuya...soon."_

"Naoki..." Tetsuya whispered, shivering and feeling an odd chill pass through his aching heart.

The iciness seemed to billow in the air around him, leaving him in a fog that seemed to hover both outside and inside his reeling body. He blinked to clear his vision, but the air around him only seemed more hazed and confusing.

 _Arashi?_

Strangely, his ears buzzed too loudly to hear whether or not his thought had reached the stallion. His heart pounded and panic began to assault his mind as numbness slowly crept over him and his legs weakened beneath him. He started to collapse completely, then felt himself swept off his feet and into strong, protective arms.

"Tetsuya-san?"

At the other man's touch, Tetsuya's mind was thrown violently into blackness, where he floated for a time before falling into a dream state.

 _He woke to find himself lying in a hospital bed in the fourth division, looking up into the concerned faces of Unohana taichou and his elder teen cousin._

 _"Tetsuya-san," the healer said apologetically, "I am so very sorry, but the damage to your body was extreme. I was not able to save your child."_

 _"N-no!" he gasped, tears flooding his eyes._

 _"And I must caution you very strongly that having future children could be dangerous for you."_

 _"No, stop, please! I don't...!"_

 _"The damage was close to where your spirit core and the spirit chamber lie within you. I healed the area as best I could, but the two were pushed closer to each other, so having another child could cause the spirit chamber to impact your reiatsu flow."_

 _"Why did you do this?" Tetsuya howled senselessly, "If one of us had to die, it should have been me! Why would you...?"_

 _"Shh," Byakuya said soothingly, curling an arm around him and holding him tightly, "You are going to be all right, watashi no itoko. I know your body is damaged and your heart is broken, but you are going to be all right, I promise you."_

"I'm going to take you to the fourth," Renji's voice said, leaking into Tetsuya's overwhelmed mind, "They'll have a look at you and see what's going on, okay?"

"No!" Tetsuya screamed, struggling, "N-not there! I don't want to go there, please!"

"Okay! Okay, fine," the redhead said, backpedaling quickly, "No healing center then. My place is close. But I'll have my buddy, Hanatarou look at you, all right?"

Tetsuya nodded wordlessly, relaxing slightly and burying his face in Renji's shoulder as the sixth division fukutaichou carried him back to the apartment complex and into the elevator.

"You can let me down. I think I will be fine now," Tetsuya offered.

But as soon as his feet touched the ground, the feeling of weakness invaded again, and by the time they reached the redhead's apartment, the noble was barely conscious.

"Man, I really think we should have gone to the fourth," Renji sighed, laying Tetsuya in his bed, then walking down the hall to the healer's apartment.

He tapped on the door and waited as movement sounded within, then footsteps approached the door. The door opened and Hanatarou's sleepy eyes met Renji's.

"Ah, Abarai-san," the healer greeted him, "Is something wrong?"

"Sorry to bug you so late at night," Renji apologized, "but Taichou's cousin is at my place. He's having some kinda dizzy spells. He's not making much sense, but he wouldn't let me take him to the fourth. Can you have a look at him?"

"Sure," Hanatarou yawned, leaving his apartment and locking the door behind him.

He ran his fingers through his tousled hair and yawned again, "No problem. Did you say it's Kuchiki taichou's cousin? Tetsuya-san?"

"You know him?"

"Mmhmm," the healer affirmed, "He hates hospitals...closed in spaces. When we need to see him, usually we go to Kuchiki Manor."

"Sounds like me when it comes to needles," Renji chuckled.

"It's a little more complicated, but yeah," Hanatarou agreed, approaching the bed and studying the barely conscious noble for a moment, "Tetsuya-san? Renji-san tells me you were having dizzy spells? Are you having one now?"

Tetsuya's eyes moved to meet his and he managed a short nod.

"I feel sick to my stomach," he added, groaning uncomfortably.

"Your reitsu is low," the healer noted, starting an infusion, "Has it been this way for long?"

"I don't know," the noble confessed, "I thought I was fine, but I've been a little off since the incident at the twelfth division."

"Mmmm, you were touched by some of that quincy's secretion that exploded."

"Yes, but they said since the explosion had already occurred, there was no danger of further problems, and I was thoroughly washed and scanned after. The healers agreed I was fine, but for lower than normal reiatsu. But that is..."

"...kind of normal after a disruptive event," Hanatarou finished, checking the noble's vital signs and looking briefly into his eyes and ears, "Are you having any other symptoms?"

"My cravings for sweet frozen things seems more insistent lately," Tetsuya confessed.

Hanatarou looked from Tetsuya to Renji and back again.

"Renji-san, could you go and find my other medical bag? I have something that may help to settle Tetsuya-san's stomach and make him more comfortable."

"Sure, no problem," Renji said, good-naturedly.

Hanatarou waited until the redhead had left, then returned his gaze to meet Tetsuya's.

"I thought you might want privacy for my next question," Hanatarou said meaningfully, "Unohana taichou informed me about your breeder status before her death, so I must ask, is there any reason to think you might be pregnant?"

Tetsuya hesitated, swallowing hard as he remembered the signs of his coitus with the sixth division fukutaichou, then shook his head.

"No," he lied, "I haven't been with anyone."

 _I don't want to think about that. The elders would be livid at me because they want it to be believed that there are no more breeders in our family. Byakuya-sama too has been made to keep his status a secret. And then, there's the fact that Byakuya-sama might find the risk to me unacceptable. He already saved my life once at the cost of the life of my child._

 _If I am pregnant, I have to think of something to do. But maybe it isn't that. Maybe it's just stress or illness...perhaps some effect from that quincy's secretion. There are lots of things it could be._

 _It doesn't have to be that._

 _But if it is..._

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stood quietly beneath his favorite sakura tree, looking up into the starry, moonlit sky that spread out over the splashing waterfall and grassy meadow at the bottom of the cliff in front of him. His sword arm still resonated slightly where the Shiba heir had touched him as they had prepared to part after having dinner together.

 _"I know we have to keep things proper," Ichigo whispered into his ear, "but I want to talk to you alone. Can we do that?"_

 _Byakuya smiled and breathed a few words in return._

 _"By the waterfall at midnight."_

He tried to remain calm, but his heart flickered as he sensed another reiatsu approaching him from behind. He let out a slightly piqued breath a moment later as Arashi's head poked out of the bushes and the stallion nickered in greeting.

"Arashi," the clan leader acknowledged, "and is Tetsuya with you?"

 _No. He said that he wanted to be alone for a while. Byakuya-sama, I am worried. His reiatsu didn't feel right to me._

"Can you sense him now?"

 _Enough to know he is not in immediate danger, but he is keeping his thoughts to himself. He has been doing that a lot lately._

"I will speak to him when he returns to the manor. Go on and rest."

 _Very well. Goodnight, Byakuya-sama._

Byakuya watched the stallion leave, then started to turn back to look at the stars. To his surprise a warm, strong pair of arms wrapped suddenly around him and he found himself face to face with the man he had been waiting for.

"So, am I late or are you early?" Ichigo chuckled.

"Your reiatsu control is getting better," Byakuya complimented him, "I didn't sense you that time."

"You were distracted," Ichigo pointed out, "Is everything okay? Arashi looked like something was bugging him."

"Everything is fine," the Kuchiki heir assured him, "But you said that you needed to speak to me alone? You...have something to say to me?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, tightening his hold on Byakuya, "This..."

Byakuya's eyes closed reflexively and he felt a sensation in his belly like falling as the Shiba heir's lips claimed his. It seemed to go on endlessly, both the warm, pleasant pressure on his mouth and the feeling of falling into a deep, tranquil abyss he never wanted to escape. He could have cried when their lips finally parted, but he held perfectly still, looking quietly through the midnight strands that had trickled down onto his face and waiting.

"Well, you didn't do anything painful," Ichigo laughed nervously, "So, can I assume that was okay with you?"

"You may," Byakuya said, the hint of a smile touching his still resonating lips.

"I know it's gonna make trouble."

"More than you might suspect," Byakuya agreed, "However, I am willing to endure the trouble if you are."

Ichigo started to give an enthusiastic answer, but was halted in his tracks by two petal-soft fingers that touched his lips stayingly.

"You must understand, there is something I haven't told you that may affect your decision."

"Nothing's going to change my mind, Byakuya. I know they want heirs, but whatever we've got to do to be together, I just want us to be that way."

"And what if _that way_ is by one of the two of us carrying the child?" Byakuya asked quietly, "What will your decision be then, Ichigo?"


	3. Bonds

**Chapter 3: Bonds**

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 **(Thanks for all of the sweet PMs. I am feeling much better today, and so motivated, I've got another chapter of this to post. Thanks to Wildwind13 (I'm back and writing up a storm. Thanks for the cheer!), PrivateCaller (Renji tries to play it tough, but he's got a huge, raging heart that won't let him turn his back on anyone.), Winterheart2000 (Yup, Renji's a goner. So glad you like the fun little Ichi/Bya. Heavy drama needs a breath of fresh air.), ShariBerry89 (So glad you like it!), Picklez80 (They do have a lot in common this way, so each will offer the other a way to move forward. Buuuut, it won't be a smooth path.), Tmp3475 (Renji is friendly and outgoing, but really missing something in his life that seeing Tetsuya will help him realize. Tetsuya is stubborn and will put the baby first no matter what. He needs to have his stubbornness checked. It doesn't mean he should give up on having the baby, but keeping secrets and running away isn't the best choice.), Ottree (Oh, yes, there is anguish to go around, and the hardest thing is that everyone's heart is in the right place, but love is messy!), Jaundrie (Aww, thanks so much for the kind wishes and compliments. You made my day!), Yukino76 (Yup!), and AshesoftheFirstStar (I'm so glad you brought that up. The first scene of the chapter was Hisagi ending what was an open, polyamorous arrangement in which Hisagi, Kira and Renji all knew what was going on. It was sex between friends. But when Kira and Hisagi decided to go exclusive, Hisagi was worried that Renji would get angry at the changing of the terms between them. The fact that part of Hisagi's goodbye included a last sex act is a reflection of the messiness in relationships. But now that Renji and Hisagi have agreed to let the sexual part of their friendship go, Hisagi will indeed be faithful to Kira. Just to note, being a one on one relationship kind of person, my experience regarding 'friends with benefits' relationships and polyamory comes from friends I have who practice or practiced these behaviors in the past. Some remain polyamorous and some, like Hisagi, abandon it when they find 'the right person.' Good comment!) Hey, enjoy the new chapter! Love to all, Spunky)**

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"You look less surprised than I would have expected," Byakuya noted, frowning thoughtfully as the Shiba heir's lips sought his again, "Someone told you, then?"

Ichigo smiled as their lips collided, then parted. A hot, eager tongue slipped into Byakuya's mouth, exploring slowly, making the Kuchiki heir's eyes slide closed and his knees weaken.

"I want to kill those two," Byakuya whispered between kisses, "But in a way, I am relieved. That part of our history is not something the noble houses take pride in, Ichigo."

"That's what Yoruichi said," the Shiba heir agreed, pausing in their kissing and breathing in the cold night air, "She also told me about how that group formed and killed as many of the breeder males as they could."

Byakuya's eyes darkened and his heart throbbed painfully at the memory Ichigo's words conjured.

"Some people never trusted the breeders. Despite having saved the noble houses from extinction, they were looked down on as lesser by the 'normal males' and felt to be a threat by many of the noble females. And once it was found that breeder males could bear natural breeder males, scrutiny came over those they bore as well, leading to the kinds of atrocities that Tetsuya and his parents suffered."

"I don't get it," Ichigo sighed in disgust, "As far as I've heard, they never did anything wrong."

"One does not have to do anything wrong to instill fear in people, Ichigo. You know that well. Remember that fear of your budding power was enough for Central 46 to send Gotei soldiers to kill you when we did not even know you. And were you not the one who deduced that Aizen Sousuke went so wrong as he did, because he was so powerful while still so young, and he couldn't understand why he wasn't accepted like everyone else?"

"Yeah," the Shiba heir agreed unhappily, "you're right. It's like when Kisuke told me about the Maggot's Nest and the fact that those people are in there for life just because they had the potential to be a problem. I know they're trying to keep the peace, but to me that seems like going too far.

Ichigo went quiet for a moment, thinking, then brightened slightly.

"But this...what you've said...it means that you're really one of those breeder males?

"I am," Byakuya confirmed, "Tetsuya and I are both naturally born breeder males. This is known to our council and it is something we have been asked to conceal about ourselves."

"You say _asked_ ," Ichigo noted, "Is that really how it is?"

"Officially, yes, but it is understood that the elders would not be beyond acting against us to cover it up, if it came out."

"So, what you're suggesting is that...well, if we were to get married, we'd have to lie about how our kids were born?"

"I suppose that is what it comes down to," Byakuya sighed, "although I think that I wouldn't be able to directly lie about something like that. It would be something we just would not speak publicly about. And while in gestation, we would be expected not to appear publicly, instead giving polite reason as to our absence. But I don't wish to dwell on that so much. Given that, at least they are willing to work with me, I don't know if this is something I need to fight them over. And besides," Byakuya said, smirking and narrowing his eyes slightly, "We are only on our 'first date' and already you are assuming I would marry you. That is rather bold of you."

"Are you saying you wouldn't marry me if I asked you to?" Ichigo laughed, nipping at Byakuya's soft lips again and tightening his hold on the raven-haired man, "After all I've done for you, you'd turn me down? That's cold."

"It is what most would expect from me, is it not?" Byakuya said flippantly, earning another amused chuckle and a more alluring barrage of kisses from the amorous Shiba heir.

"Yeah, well I'm not most people and neither are you. I don't mean to seem like I'm in a rush, but I think after what we've been through, it's not good to waste time, you know? We should enjoy every minute."

"Agreed," Byakuya sighed, closing his eyes and kissing the younger man more insistently.

"Then, you'll marry me and have our kids?" Ichigo asked, smirking.

"Is that an official request for my hand? Already?" Byakuya laughed.

"Uh-huh," Ichigo loosed breathlessly, bringing them onto their knees together.

"You do not know how to hold back in anything, do you, Shiba Ichigo?" the Kuchiki heir managed in a softer, reflective tone, "You never have."

"Nope," Ichigo said unrepentantly, "So, will you marry me and have my babies?"

"Tell me something, before I answer you," Byakuya said, looking into Ichigo's affectionate, golden-brown eyes, "Would you be willing to marry me and have mine if I asked you?"

"Eh...wha...?"

"Ah," the Kuchiki heir laughed softly, "They didn't tell you that part, did they?"

"Uh..."

"Breeder males are not relegated to only _carrying_ a child, Ichigo."

"Oh, well..."

"I see," Byakuya said, eyeing him more skeptically, "It's fine, as long as I accept the more feminine role, is it?"

"I didn't say that!" the younger man objected, a scowl taking over his face, "You just surprised me. That's all."

"Then, you would...if I asked you to?" Byakuya queried.

Ichigo took a steadying breath and met his eyes squarely.

"Why not? You'd do it for me, wouldn't you?" he answered, a very slight shakiness in his voice.

"Without hesitation," Byakuya answered, giving him the hint of a smile, "But then, I've had a lifetime to dwell on that possibility. That you would consider such a thing so readily..."

"I love you," Ichigo insisted, holding him almost painfully tightly and breathing in his warm, sweet scent, "I almost killed you once and I almost watched you die during the quincy war.I think I've been in love with you from the moment I first saw you."

"That is ridiculous," Byakuya said dismissively, "The first moment you saw me, I was there to kill you. And the times we met after that, we were trying to kill each other."

"Yeah," Ichigo admitted, "but you know that when my sword crosses any other, I feel the emotion that drives it. I was getting to you just as much as you were getting to me. You can't deny that, and even if you try, you aren't getting away from me this time!"

"I am not running from you, fool!" Byakuya managed, just before having his breath stolen by a scathing kiss that ended with the two lying in a soft fall of sakura blossoms.

Ichigo gave the blushing Kuchiki leader a charming grin.

"So, are we making those babies now?" he chuckled.

"I would never have a child out of wedlock. That would be scandalous!" Byakuya scolded him.

"Then what was all that talk about me being willing to have a baby?"

Byakuya's small smile faded and his eyes met Ichigo's more tentatively.

"I apologize for asking you that. It wasn't a fair question, considering you only just learned about the breeders."

"Then, why did you ask?" Ichigo mused, frowning, "Did you really think I wouldn't?"

"It is not that," Byakuya corrected him, "I just needed to know that, should I one day have our children, you would not look down on me for it."

"What?" Ichigo asked, looking offended, "You really think I'd do that?"

"No," Byakuya answered, seeking his lips again, "And that is why I am not letting you go either!"

The two fell quiet, their mouths fastened tightly together, breaths shortening and their hearts quickening. Ichigo's impatient hands loosened and peeled away their clothing, and he laid on top of Byakuya, enjoying the feel of that soft, warm skin touching his, the scorching heat in Byakuya's dark, beautiful eyes and the tickling throbs of arousal that assaulted his senses.

"So, do we have to do something to _not_ have those babies out of wedlock?"

"The ability is controlled by my will, like any other ability," Byakuya explained, "As long as I am 'in my right mind' and will to restrain it, the ability will not activate."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo laughed nervously, "Cause, to be honest, I don't know if I'm ready for fatherhood just yet."

Byakuya gave him a look that melted him instantly.

"You will be a wonderful father...when the time comes."

Before the stunned Shiba heir could answer, Byakuya's mouth claimed his roughly, and his insistent hands wrapped around Ichigo's grinding bottom, encouraging him as they rubbed their aroused lengths together. A voracious moan escaped Byakuya's parted lips as Ichigo's wetted fingers carefully prepared him. Then in slow, deliberate thrusts, their bodies joined. Their panting breaths and low groans of pleasure mingled with the pleasant rush of the waterfall and their leaking reiatsu warmed their environs with a soft, white glow. Their movements intensified and the reiatsu around them flared, sending a breeze through the area and over them as rising pleasure peaked and gave way to the gripping pulses of orgasm. Byakuya gasped as sudden heat blazed inside him, then closed his eyes as his own body loosed itself onto their skin. leaving the two humming with life and unable to move for a time.

"You sure you won't get pregnant?" Ichigo chuckled, "After something like that..."

"Are you afraid?" Byakuya teased him.

"Yeah, kinda."

"Good. You are learning to employ a measure of caution about things."

"About some things," Ichigo giggled, tickling him under the chin and stealing another kiss.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You sure he's going to be okay?" Renji asked, stealing a glance back at the sleeping noble in his bed, "He seemed pretty bad before."

"He'll be okay," Hanatarou assured the sixth division fukutaichou, "His reiatsu was just pretty depleted, but he was just involved in that explosion at the twelfth, and he works really hard, running security at Kuchiki Manor and acting as Kuchiki taichou's bodyguard."

"Yeah, I suppose."

Renji reached up and scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"Maybe I should let Taichou know…"

"It's pretty late," Hanatarou said uncertainly.

"Yeah," the redhead said, shaking his head unhappily, "I guess you're right about that. Well, thanks for coming over."

"Sure thing. Any time, Renji-san," Hanatarou said cheerfully, stifling a sleepy yawn, "I'll see you around, okay?"

"Yeah, g'night."

Renji watched as the healer left, then slipped out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where he found a few leftovers to nibble on, while he sat, looking out the window and letting his thoughts wander. When weariness finally took over, he returned to the bedroom to find Tetsuya still sleeping deeply.

"You sure are cute," he whispered appreciatively, but I think you're not the type of person to be casual about sex. You're pretty shy. Besides, I know Taichou'd kill me for even looking the wrong way at someone like you. He's really protective."

Renji walked to the closet and slipped out of his uniform. He picked out a handsome red yukata and wrapped it around his tall, muscular frame, before walking back to the bed.

"I'd ask permission to sleep next to you, Tetsuya-san, but I don't think you'd wake up to be asked," the redhead yawned, "Don't worry, I don't bite...usually."

He loosed a soft chuckle and closed his eyes, relaxing into sleep and enjoying the sweet, attractive scent of the man lying on the other side of the bed. He rested quietly for a time, then found himself dreaming.

 _A rush of wind through the trees cooled his face as he looked down at the patch of wildflowers he had found. Smiling, he bent to pick a handful. Looking up, he spotted a tree with a few oranges still left on it. He ran over quickly and deprived the tree of the last of its crop, then turned towards home. He frowned slightly as the scent of smoke reached him, then felt a jolt of panic as he approached the place where a group of children stood huddled, staring in dismay at the collapsed and smoking shack that had been their home._

 _"Tsuru! Rukia!" Renji yelled, dropping the flowers and fruit._

 _He dashed to where the young woman sat, surrounded by several other girls, and coughing heavily._

 _"Are you okay? What happened?"_

 _"H-hollow attack!" Rukia managed, "Renji...Ts-tsuru!"_

 _Numbness flooded his body as he surged to his feet and ran to the shack, joining several others who were digging frantically through the debris._

 _"Tsuru!" he screamed in desperation, "Tsuru!"_

 _He tore at the worn boards, ignoring the growing pain in his hands._

 _"TSURU!"_

 _The board under his hand broke and he pulled it away, then he stared in horror at what laid beneath._

"Tsuru!" Renji sobbed, turning in his sleep and coming awake to find a pair of widened blue eyes looking fearfully into his.

Without thinking, Renji grabbed the other person in his bed, still half asleep and crying mindlessly as he kissed the person with a desperation bordering on madness. A few moments later, reality began to return and Renji registered that the person in his arms had stiffened and was pushing against his chest, trying to escape his devouring lips.

"Oh fuck!" the redhead gasped, releasing Tetsuya and hastily fastening his yukata back in place as the blue-eyed man did the same, "S-sorry!"

Tetsuya remained silent, only looking back at him wordlessly as the two gathered themselves.

"I'm _really, really_ sorry, Tetsuya-san."

Tetsuya measured his words carefully.

"It must have been a very distressing dream, Renji-san," he surmised.

"Yeah.," Renji managed in a low, rough voice.

The silence rang between them for several painfully long moments.

"I have to go home," Tetsuya said finally.

"Look, I'm sorry I offended you," Renji began.

"You didn't. You've been very kind," the noble assured him, "but I can see that this is a private matter. I don't want to intrude. This was, perhaps, a memory?"

"Wha...how did you know?" Renji asked, frowning curiously and wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Because when you woke, the nightmare didn't leave your eyes," Tetsuya explained, "One is able to 'wake up' from a dream, but there is no waking up from the past. A person reacts differently to the two."

"You sound like you've had your share of nightmares," Renji sighed shakily, relaxing somewhat.

"Yes. Just living was a nightmare in the noble prison where I grew up."

Renji's cinnamon eyes blinked in surprise.

"You grew up in a prison?" he asked, "Wait, I think I've heard Taichou mention something about that. Why were you in a prison? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

"It's fine," Tetsuya assured him, "Most outside the noble families don't speak of it. My father was a noble and my mother a peasant. And this was at a time when such a thing was punished harshly. Some pureblood family members were adamant about keeping noble blood pure, and these were the ones who secretly built the illegal noble prisons and abducted and incarcerated those who broke the clan laws."

"But you never did anything wrong," Renji insisted.

"The _wrong_ is in my blood and flesh," Tetsuya explained, "And although the illegal prisons are gone and the laws have changed to better protect us, mixed bloods will always feel the disapproval of just existing."

He noted Renji's piqued look and gave the redhead a calming smile.

"But Ginrei-sama and Byakuya-sama both took it upon themselves to protect me more directly."

"Oh? How's that?"

"My father was Soujun-sama's first cousin, and he and Soujun-sama were also best friends. Unfortunately, my father was executed shortly after being captured, and my mother died of illness. In honor of their loss, Ginrei-sama made Byakuya-sama my protector when I was first rescued. Then…after Byakuya-sama educated me in the ways of the noble families and helped me to grow my powers, I became his protector."

"I understand you're really something in a fight. Taichou has a lot of respect for your abilities."

He smiled at the blush his compliment induced.

"Well, sorry again for scaring you awake like that."

"That is not the worst fright I have received," Tetsuya answered, his blush deepening as he remembered the feel of that rough, insistent mouth that had, minutes before, tried to devour his, "It's fine. Would you like me to make some hot tea for you? I usually find that soothing when I've had a disturbing dream."

"What are you saying?" Renji scolded him, teasingly, "You're supposed to be resting, not getting up and making me tea. Lie down. I'll be fine. Let's just try to get some sleep, okay? I promise, no more stealth kisses."

Tetsuya paused, considering, then laid down again and curled around his pillow, closing his eyes.

"Wait a sec," Renji's voice said, making them open again, "What's this? What's going on?"

Tetsuya blinked in surprise as he registered the soft glow that had risen around their bodies. Familiarity registered for a moment in his widened eyes, then disappeared swiftly.

"I'm sure it's nothing," he said dismissively as the gentle light faded, "We simply resonate because our souls share some level of…of potential, I suppose. It is probably because you kissed me."

"R-right," Renji said, shaking his head to clear it and lying down again, "That...was really weird."

"Are you sure I shouldn't go, Renji-san?" Tetsuya asked, "I am really fine now."

"Hey, Hanatarou told you to rest, so rest, all right?"

"Very well," Tetsiuya sighed, settling, "Good night, Renji-san."

"G'night," Renji yawned.

Tetsuya slowed his breathing and let himself drift off, but the warmth of the other man's kiss followed him well into sleep and still hadn't left when he woke before dawn and slipped away, his body still bearing that soft, pleasant glow.

Renji woke a few hours later and rolled over to find a note that Tetsuya had left on the pillow he had used. Renji picked up the note and hugged the pillow against him, breathing in Tetsuya's sweet, pleasant scent as he read.

 _Renji-san,_

 _Thank you for caring for me while I was ill. I very much appreciate your kindness. I will confide in you that I never fear for my cousin's safety while you are beside him. You are a great warrior and a treasured friend to him. I hope that someday, I will be able to repay the debt I owe you for inconveniencing you._

 _Regards,_

 _Tetsuya_

Renji smiled and shook his head, chuckling softly.

"Cute," he sighed, dropping the pillow back onto the bed, "and way too dangerous for me."

He slipped out of bed and walked to the window, his cinnamon colored eyes peering out in the direction of the Rukongai.

"Keep it safe, Renji. Keep it casual," he chided himself, "There's nothing we make that can't be swept away in a fucking second. Losing a friend is hard enough. Losing someone you love…"

He sighed softly and closed his eyes.

"Losing someone you love is sheer, burning hell."


	4. Deal With the Devil

**Chapter 4: Deal With the Devil**

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 **(Thanks going out to Picklez80 for giving me the nudge to finish up this one. I had almost completed it, then forgot it was almost done!), Lovebot1575 (You've got it!), Featherfoot (Oh, Tetsuya is going to wish he had gone to Bya!), PrivateCaller (You're right that they are both in similar places and in their hearts, both want to be happy again. It will take time and some courage to get there.), Jess0409 (Sure thing!), Ashesofthefirststar (You don't miss a beat! *winks*), Jaundrie (You are so welcome! More is on the way.), Hisuiryuu (Thanks for the kind wishes when I was sick. A round of antibiotics cleared me up and I am back in action and feeling 110% now! :) I hate being sick.), Ottree (Yeah, Renji's headed for a huge eye opener!), TMP3475 (Tetsuya has a tendency to bottle things up and retreat from conflict, but he is going to need Renji and Byakuya as his stubbornness and refusal to face the facts leads him into trouble...), and Yukino76 (Renji and Tetsuya will both need to learn to fight for what is building between them.) Enjoy the new chapter! Love to all, Spunky)**

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Renji grunted sleepily and opened an eye to check the clock as someone knocked on his apartment door.

"Who th'fuck but freaking _Taichou_ is up this early?" he yawned.

Turning slightly, he glanced at the place beside him where Tetsuya had been, and a little smile touched his lips, remembering.

 _Eh, it's too bad that just can't be. I kinda hope it's him out there, but at the same time, I hope it's not. Damn…_

"Ugh!" the redhead grumbled, staggering to his feet and running his fingers through the tumbled strands of his hair as he stumbled to the apartment door, "You forget something, beautiful?"

He opened the door to find his taichou looking back at him curiously.

"Oh! S-sorry, Taichou."

"I do not believe I left anything here, as I have not visited your home for some time, Abarai," Byakuya answered dryly, "I am looking for my cousin. I received word that he collapsed and you brought him here?"

"Y-yeah, I did," Renji answered, blinking to clear his eyes, "Hanatarou had a look at him and said that it must just be from when we were knocked around at the twelfth division. He...ah...Tetsuya-san slept here last night, but he was gone when you woke me up."

Byakuya quietly eyed the unmade bed for a moment, then turned an even more curious eye on his subordinate.

"Renji..."

"Oh!" the redhead exclaimed quickly, "Don't get the wrong idea. We didn't sleep together, Taichou! W-well, we did sleep in the same bed. But it's just because I only have one bed! And I didn't have sex with him, I promise. I wouldn't..."

"I am pleased to hear that."

"Huh..."

"Byakuya's frown deepened.

"Tetsuya has a troubled past and he hasn't seen anyone romantically since his rescue from the prison. He isn't like the more spirited and amorous people you _spend your time with_."

"I know that," Renji said, a flicker of anger in his tone, "I wouldn't disrespect Tetsuya-san or you by sleeping with him. I slept _next to him_ and nothing happened!"

A flare of memory nagged at the redhead and he swallowed hard, his heart pounding as Byakuya eyed him more closely.

"Okay, fine! I had a nightmare and I woke up kissing him, but it wasn't intentional and I apologized to him. I won't let it happen again! Really, Taichou. I was just trying to help the guy. I saw him pass out, caught him as he fell, actually, and I was just..."

"I understand. Do you know where Tetsuya went?" Byakuya asked, looking around the apartment.

"I was out cold. I've got no idea. He probably went home," Renji yawned, "I was just about to get dressed and go to the office. Do you want me to help you look for him?"

"That would be..."

Byakuya paused as a hell butterfly arrived.

 _Kuchiki taichou,_ said Kyouraku soutaichou's solemn voice, _We have received word from our allies in Hueco Mundo that a small cell of rogue quincies has been stealing supplies and appears to be planning attacks in the Seireitei. I need you and Abarai fukutaichou to meet with the hollow leaders Harribel and Grimmjow to discuss what they have learned. Find out what support they need from us and relay the request._

"Man, I hate that guy," Renji sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Renji, don't speak about Soutaichou that way," Byakuya chided him.

"I was talking about Grimmjow!" Renji objected, catching his superior's very slight smirk and breaking into a laugh.

Renji grabbed the cleaner of the two uniforms tossed over his sofa and hastily dressed, then flash stepped after Byakuya as they headed for the central senkaimon.

"What are you going to do about Tetsuya-san?" he asked in a concerned tone, "He seemed pretty shaky last night when Hanatarou examined him."

"Well, hopefully, he will check in with our clan healer this morning. As soon as we return, I will send for him and make sure he is all right."

"He's a really sweet person. I hope everything's okay."

"I am sure Tetsuya will be fine," Byakuya assured him, "Although he is quite innocent in some ways, he does know how to take care of himself. Come along, now. We need to get to Hueco Mundo before those quincies complete their plans and launch an attack."

"Right, Taichou!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya felt his cousin's reiatsu nearby and ducked behind a splashing fountain, invoking his shikai and watching as Byakuya entered the apartment building where Renji lived.

"Well, that could have been a bit awkward," he mused softly, smiling to himself and blushing slightly as he remembered the barrage of desperate kisses Renji had inflicted on him, "I don't want to think of what he would have thought to find me sleeping in his fukutaichou's bed with him. I think he wouldn't know who to kill first, Renji-san for taking advantage or me for letting him."

 _But that's not really fair. Renji-san was wonderful to me. He is a kind, caring person, not at all how I would think someone who has as many romantic partners as he does would be. But...I suppose it has something to do with that person whose name he called out while he was holding on to me._

"Tsuru," he whispered, pausing and going very still as Byakuya emerged from Renji's building with his fukutaichou at his side and the two flash stepped away together.

He shook his head to clear it, then turned back towards Kuchiki Manor.

 _Enough daydreaming. I need to get back to my duties._

He extended his senses, narrowing his eyes as he tried to link with his equine partner's mind and failed to do so.

 _Arashi?_

He frowned at the lack of connection, but brushed it off easily.

 _I am still out of sorts. I will see Michio when I get home._

He waited until Byakuya and Renji were no longer in sight, then emerged from his concealing waterform.

"Ah!" said a familiar male voice, "I thought that I might find you here, Kuchiki Tetsuya."

Tetsuya frowned, taking in the too pleased expression on the face of the twelfth division taichou and flinching inwardly.

"Kurotsuchi Mayuri," he greeted the man, "why are you looking for me?"

"An interesting question, young Kuchiki. Perhaps you will get an answer, but don't you think we should try not to be too obvious? Your shikai. Why don't you use it and we'll go back to my division?"

"I don't think so," Tetsuya answered, stiffening.

"You don't trust me?" Mayuri snickered, "What a shame. I'm rather insulted. But what should I expect from the leader of Kuchiki house forces, ne?"

"What do you want with me?" Tetsuya asked petulantly, "I have duties to attend to and you are..."

"How rude! But then, you Kuchikis are known for that, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're..."

"I'll get to the point, as my time is as valuable as yours and I have experiments waiting. By now, you should be feeling the effects of the compound that the quincy expelled."

"What are you going on about?" Tetsuya asked irritably, "I am not..."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Mayuri said sternly, "After all, being curious about whether there would be side effects even after the compound exploded, I made sure that everyone at the scene was secretly given a drug that carried a transmission device that monitored _everything_!"

"A...?"

"I assure you it is exactly what you think," the twelfth division taichou went on, "I have been monitoring Kurosaki Ichigo, you, your cousin and that red-haired playboy he works with."

"You...what?" Tetsuya gasped, "How _dare_ you interfere with members of a noble clan!"

"Oh I assure you," Kurotsuchi said, stepping forward and backing Tetsuya up against a tall, white column that stood alongside the fountain, "where the safety and protection of the Seireitei is concerned, I will do whatever I must and interfere with _anyone_ who could pose a threat. You four were involved in that explosion and could have been contaminated in ways we couldn't see. As such, it was my duty to follow up and make sure that nothing untoward happened because of it."

"That does _not_ give you the right to drug us or to monitor our private exchanges!" the noble snapped furiously.

"You mean, like that savory kissing you and Abarai fukutaichou were engaging in last night?"

Tetsuya's blue eyes widened and flared.

"You bastard! He had a nightmare and was out of his senses!" Tetsuya cried, "He didn't know what he was doing!"

"Ah, but you knew what _you_ were doing, didn't you?"

"I resisted him! I didn't...!"

"Oh, I was watching _very_ closely, Kuchiki Tetsuya, I assure you. You may have resisted some out of instinct, but your physical responses tell a much different story! You two were resonating off the charts."

"That's none of your business!" Tetsuya snapped, pulling free and preparing to engage his flash step, "Now, get out of my way!"

"Are you going to tell Abarai-san about the child, Kuchiki Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya froze and his eyes closed for a moment, then opened, bearing a look of torment.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" Mayuri went on, "After all, you probably weren't sure, yourself, just yet. But I will confirm it for you so that you can begin your preparations. Is there... _anyone else I should make the grand announcement to_? Abarai Renji, perhaps? Or maybe... _Byakuya_?"

"What do you want from me?" Tetsuya demanded, scowling, "You know they are going to find out anyway. I have no illusions about that."

"And you remember how your last pregnancy ended, ne?" the twelfth division taichou reminded him.

Tetsuya let out a distressed breath and glanced back in the direction his cousin and Renji had gone, then he turned his eyes back on Mayuri.

"What are you getting at?"

A sly smile crept across the other man's smug face.

"I can help you, Tetsuya-san," he offered, taking on a more friendly tone, "I can both stabilize your body to better tolerate the pregnancy, and I can help you to conceal it."

"And what good will it do to conceal it?" Tetsuya asked impatiently, "It will only be discovered later, when I have the child! I don't...! Renji-san doesn't want a spouse and a child. If I told him, he would probably join forces with my cousin and...and..."

"And pressure you to abort it?" Mayuri said, his smile fading, "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

"Why are you doing this?" Tetsuya pleaded softly, "I haven't done anything to you. I barely know you! Why would you...?"

"I am a scientist, my young Kuchiki," Mayuri said simply, "If I help you, I will learn a great many things about your breeder ability, and that knowledge could lead to other discoveries. I have everything to gain and nothing to lose by helping you and you, it seems, have everything to gain by cooperating with me and everything to lose by trying to fumble through this on your own."

"You act as though you are giving me some kind of choice," Tetsuya said unhappily, "But if I don't do what you want..."

"I will be sure that those two men you are avoiding know everything by nightfall," Mayuri threatened him.

"You are a heartless monster!" Tetsuya hissed, clenching his fists.

"I've been told that," Mayuri snickered, "But I prefer to think of myself as _brutally efficient in getting what I want_."

Tetsuya's face paled and he lowered his eyes.

"You promise that you will not tell them if I...?"

"You just have to agree to entrust your pregnancy to me, Tetsuya-san," Mayuri explained, "I will see you through it, and you can then later decide if you want to spring the news on _Daddy Renji_ and your dear cousin or perhaps...introduce the tyke as a peasant child you adopted?"

"I don't know," Tetsuya whispered in a stricken voice, "I don't know what to do."

"You said that Renji-san doesn't want you or a baby. It would certainly hamper his free-wheeling, free- _loving_ lifestyle, ne?"

"You may be right about that, but..."

Tetsuya's face paled more and he let out a distressed breath as a wave of dizziness struck. The air went dark around him and Mayuri's voice distorted and began to fade.

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" the twelfth division taichou laughed, catching the noble as he collapsed, "Don't worry about a thing, Kuchiki Tetsuya, I will keep your lurid secret...if you'll keep mine!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Whoa, Ichigo!" Renji said, giving his friend a surprised look as he joined them in the underground training area and Kisuke prepared a garganta, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ichigo chuckled, "I'm going with you to Hueco Mundo."

"Wait a sec! You're going with us? No one told me about this. Taichou?"

Byakuya exchanged glances with the Shiba heir and nodded briefly.

"It would be a pleasure to have your company," he answered Ichigo politely.

"Yeah, right," grumbled Renji, "The last time he and that asshole, Grimmjow crossed paths, all they did was argue...loudly!"

"Like you and Grimmjow weren't doing the same thing!" Ichigo fired back.

"As I recall, the three of you were so distracted with each other that I was able to finesse what I wanted from Lady Harribel quite easily," Byakuya commented.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Ichigo complained, "You were using us so you could put the moves on that hollow?"

"And since when is she anything like a lady?" mused Renji, "Did you forget how she almost killed Hitsugaya taichou that time?"

Byakuya released an amused exhale and stepped towards the opened doorway.

"I don't think that learning troop number and placement information and verifying loyalty to our cause qualifies as _putting the moves on_ her, ne?" he answered sedately.

"Whatever you say," Ichigo huffed, "but since we're seeing each other officially now, you'll need to be all business."

"I see," Byakuya replied, smirking ever so slightly as he entered the garganta, "I will endeavor to remember that."

Byakuya moved forward, laying down a bright, perfectly constructed path as the other two men exchanged scowls and flash stepped after him. They proceeded through the deep cavern with Byakuya sensing their pathway, then turned and exited, flash stepping down onto the sand.

"Huh," Renji said, frowning, "We're not going to the fortress, Taichou?"

"No, Lady Harribel and Jaegerjaques Grimmjow are in the field, as another quincy attack was reported, even as we were making our way here. I received word just before we left."

"Is that why you really tagged along, Ichigo?" Renji asked, "Did you know about this?"

"I was with Kisuke when the report came in," Ichigo confessed, "I asked Kisuke if he thought you'd need an extra hand and he said you might, so that's why I came along."

"Then, what was that crap about 'just tagging along?'" Renji queried.

"I think Ichigo was simply attempting to be respectful and not to suggest that I cannot take care of myself," Byakuya surmised, giving his smiling boyfriend a look of approval.

"You can take care of yourself just fine," Ichigo said firmly, "I just want to be there to help out if I can."

"As I said before, your presence is appreciated," Byakuya replied, moving closer to him and slipping a pale hand into his, "Renji, will you move on ahead to scout for us?"

"Sure," the redhead chuckled, lowering his voice as he continued, "I guess we know who'll be guarding your backside, ne Taichou?"

"Did you say something?" Byakuya asked, startling him.

"Naw, nothing Taichou," Renji answered, blushing as he flash stepped out of view.

"Finally, some alone time," Ichigo said, smiling as Renji disappeared into the distance, "Can we take a little break and look at the stars or are you in a big hurry?"

"We do need to arrive soon," Byakuya sighed, "however, I think we could pause on that rise to reconnoiter before we go down into the next valley."

"You've got it!"

The two flash stepped to the top of the rise and stood in a cluster of boulders, looking out across the darkened landscape.

"You sure we should leave Renji alone out there?" Ichigo asked, "He sure knows how to find trouble, ne?"

"I think you rather excel at that, yourself," Byakuya reminded him.

"Sometimes," the Shiba heir agreed, slipping his arms around the noble, "Hey, you look a little more pale than usual. You okay?"

"It is just the moonlight," Byakuya assured him, "I feel fine."

"Good," Ichigo said, seeking his lips and caressing them teasingly with his own.

They kissed several times before Byakuya nodded briefly and indicated the direction Renji had gone.

"We should find my fukutaichou before he gets into mischief."

"Okay, but once business is concluded, can I spend some time alone with you?"

"We were together last night," Byakuya recalled, a shaft of moonlight catching his dark eyes and lighting them as he remembered.

"Yeah, and it was really great. But it was just like an appetizer. You left me wanting more."

"Well," the Kuchiki heir said, smiling warmly, "I will, of course, indulge you once this mission is over and all of the proper reports are filed."

"Eh, can't you have Renji do the reports?"

"Only if I want them turned in late and unreadable," Byakuya chuckled softly, "I must see to my duties, but I promise that as soon as I have, I will take a long weekend. We could, perhaps, visit the estate where I was born. It's especially lovely when everything is in bloom."

"You've got it," Ichigo said, grinning, "Fine, back to work, then, but I'm holding you to that promise."

The two continued their trek through the desert, meeting up with Renji and then moving on together. As they closed in on their destination, Byakuya felt an odd weakness pass over him, and he stumbled, then caught himself. Ichigo frowned and moved closer.

"Byakuya, are you sure you're all right? You don't look so good," he commented.

"He's right," Renji agreed, squinting slightly to get a better look, "What's going on, Taichou?"

"I am not sure, but it's fine. I will be fine. We need to focus on our mission and not be distracted. We still don't know the timetable for that quincy attack."

"Look, maybe I should go on ahead and meet with those guys," suggested Renji, "I can..."

"I am grateful for the offer, Abarai," Byakuya replied, running a hand over his sweating face, "but this is going to require some diplomacy."

"Hey, I can be charming too!" Renji insisted, "Besides, it doesn't look like you're going to be reaching the encampment. You look like hell, Taichou."

"Perhaps I should rest a bit," Byakuya suggested, "Go on and inform our contacts that my arrival has been briefly delayed."

Ichigo and Renji loosed sounds of surprise and dismay as Byakuya swayed dizzily, then started to fall.

"Whoa! I've got you," Ichigo said, catching him.

"Man, that's just like what happened to Tetsuya-san," Renji mused, moving closer and examining the unconscious noble briefly, "But Hanatarou just gave Tetsuya-san an infusion and had him rest."

"I can give him the reiatsu infusion," Ichigo offered, "You go on and report this to Harribel."

"Heh, just don't blow him up or anything," Renji chuckled, flash stepping away.

"Very funny, asshole," Ichigo grumbled, carrying Byakuya into an empty cave.

He laid the Kuchiki heir on his back in a soft patch of sand in the back of the cave and slowly infused his body with healing power. As he worked, their bodies began to glow softly with gentle white light.

"That's weird," Ichigo commented, shaking his head, "It never did that before..."


	5. Haze

**Chapter 5: Haze**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

 **(Thanks going out to PrivateCaller (Byakuya is not going to like this!), Kittykins (Here's some heart-saving therapy.), Aizenfan6969 (I don't know why I haven't written him more. He's freaky and pretty fun to write.), Winterheart2000 (Bya's reaction will be...amusing!), Beaker (You are so welcome!), Picklez80 (I think Bya and Renji will together beat him soundly!), ShariBerry89 (Can I use bladed petal bath? I love it!), TMP3475 (Mayuri wants Tetsuya's baby to live to birth, but his cockiness is dangerous. Still, Tetsuya may have an unexpected ally...), Ottree (I'm sure the second Tetsuya's awake, he will be on his feet and out that door. That's one scary maniac!), and Yukino76 (Yup, Bya's got an Ichi-bun in the oven and Tetsuya'd better be ready to run.) Enjoy the new chapter! Love to all, Spunky.)**

 **XXXXXXXXXX**

"Intensify the magnification on the reiatsu scope," Mayuri ordered Nemu, "I want to study every last cell. I've never studied a breeder male before."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," his subordinate answered solemnly, "But are you sure you should keep him unconscious for so long? It might not be good for the baby."

"The brat's fine!" the twelfth division taichou snapped, jabbing a finger in the direction of one of the monitors, "And the reiatsu hasn't progressed far enough to interfere greatly with his spirit core. It will be a bit longer before it begins to have adverse effects, and by then, we will have adjusted the position of the spirit chamber."

"Are you sure that we should do that with the reiatsu inside, sir? It could destabilize. They could hollowfy."

"If we don't adjust the chamber, they will die anyway. And if they hollowfy, we will kill them. No one knows where he is, and they won't know to look here."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama."

"Fascinating," Mayuri mused, glaring intently into the scope, then looking up at a video image of Tetsuya in shikai, "But this is a bit confusing."

"Sir?"

"I have taken the readings several times and oddly, it seems like his ability doesn't match his body's capacity. As you know, a shinigami channels power through his spirit centers, which widen or constrict to control the passage of that power. But I have noted this man's power output in the past and I have no idea how he performs on that level. His body was badly abused while he was a child and his spirit centers show signs of past damage. However, damage to the targets he strikes is at a level that defies what his body can emit. So, if there is a conduit that carries that additional force, then where is it?"

"It is a mystery, sir."

"And there's only one way to figure this out. Nemu, prepare the reiatsu gun."

"Sir, you are going to...?"

"He has shown himself to be capable of withstanding captain level reiatsu. He must be able to shunt it off somehow. He is also able to draw it from somewhere to make his attacks," Mayuri said, glancing at the image of Tetsuya, guiding his mount over a fiery obstacle while activating his bankai, "If we want to know where the power goes, the best way is to expose him to a reiatsu source and watch how his body reacts. With sensors in place, we can track the reiatsu as it moves and trace it to whatever he is using to amplify his power and draw off the force of incoming attacks."

"But this is dangerous, isn't it? Shouldn't we wait until the baby is born before we...?"

"Do you think that Byakuya will let him anywhere near this place willingly?" Mayuri snapped, "He is here now. We will study him now. The baby will be fine. Now, set the strength of the gun pulse at shikai capacity first. We'll test it once, then raise it."

With a look of misgiving, the young woman set adjusted the controls on the reiatsu gun, then aimed it at Tetsuya and fired a pulse that flashed red as it impacted the noble restrained body. A jolt went through Tetsuya and his face registered pain at the intrusion. Mayuri studied the readout from the gun and nodded.

"His spirit centers responded normally to that, but then, it was well within his capacity. Raise the level to that of his bankai."

"Sir?"

"Do it now, you moron! He'll just shunt it off somehow. We'll follow the emitted reiatsu to the source and find out what secrets this boy is hiding. Go on. Fire it now!"

"Yes sir."

Nemu set the new reiatsu level, then hesitated, glancing down at the unconscious man, then at her taichou.

"What are you waiting for? Fire the gun!" Mayuri ordered her.

"Y-yes sir."

She took a breath and began to touch the button, then stopped again as a monitor complained and Tetsuya began to writhe and groan uncomfortably.

"Blast it!"

"Sir, the baby's reiatsu is destabilizing. He needs an infusion of the father's reiatsu."

"We have samples of Abarai Renji's reiatsu," Mayuri said tersely, "Give him a bit then...Well, get on with it!"

The young woman moved in close to Tetsuya and began the infusion, while her flustered taichou sought the controls of the reiatsu gun and took aim on the noble again. He started to reset the power level, then made a sound of annoyance as a hell butterfly arrived, interrupting him again.

"Kurotsuchi taichou," said Kyouraku's smooth voice, "We need you to report to Kuchiki Manor..."

Mayuri stiffened momentarily, but relaxed again as the captain commander continued.

"Kuchiki taichou collapsed on a mission to Hueco Mundo and I want you to check him for foreign reiatsu, anything dangerous. Also, examine whether this might be related to the explosion at your headquarters he was caught in."

"Would you like me to read his tea leaves while we're at it?" the twelfth division taichou muttered irritably.

He let out a disapproving huff and glared at his fukutaichou.

"Nemu, continue the infusion until he stabilizes. I will be back."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," Nemu replied, leaning over the semi-conscious noble and soothing him back into sleep.

One gloved hand slipped down to rub Tetsuya's exposed abdomen gently as the infusion commenced, and her eye strayed up to watch the strong, steady throbs of the developing baby's glowing reiatsu.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Taichou!" Renji exclaimed in a dismayed tone, "What in kami's name are you doing out of bed? You just barely woke up."

"Renji's right," added Ichigo, laying a hand on his distressed boyfriend's arm as Byakuya hastily dressed, "You still look pretty out of sorts."

"I don't know how this happened!" Byakuya mused, pushing Ichigo's hand away and continuing his preparations, "It wasn't supposed to. The power only activates with strong resonance and an act of will. It isn't something that should have happened!"

"Byakuya, what are you talking about?" Ichigo pleaded, "What's got you so upset?"

Byakuya glanced from Ichigo to Renji, then sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Okay," Ichigo said bracingly, "Just calm down for a minute and tell me what's going on. Whatever it is, we can deal with it, all right?"

"Can you _deal with_ inciting a riot in my clan? I am _with child_!" he announced, his face paling more with each word.

"What?" Renji gasped,, his eyes rounding, "But...how's that even possible? You're a...guy...aren't you, Taichou?"

"I am male," Byakuya confirmed, "But there are certain rare males within our clan that can carry children. I am one of them. I told this to Ichigo before we were intimate."

Ichigo stared back at the Kuchiki heir with widened, stunned eyes.

"You're...gonna have our baby?" he said wonderingly, "Really?"

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation!" Byakuya snapped, shocking him out of his reverie, "This isn't something that the elders want people to know about! Tetsuya and I gave an oath to the council that we would not use that power without coming before them and working out some means of keeping the matter completely private. The history of the noble breeder males is not something that we are proud of. It caused great dissent amongst the clans. And if it becomes known to the Noble's General Council that the Kuchiki clan leader is a breeder male, there is going to be outright chaos!"

"Whoa! Tetsuya-san's a breeder male too?" Renji asked, blinking.

"I don't think this is the time, Renji," Ichigo said shortly.

"I have to meet with our elders immediately. They are sensitive to the presence of an heir. They may already know. I have to get to them and figure out what to do before this becomes a public incident!"

"But, Tetsuya..." Renji began.

"It's gonna be okay. We'll talk to them. We'll explain."

"I don't know if they'll be of a mind to listen. I did promise to come before them and tell them before activating the ability. Tetsuya and I both did."

"But, Tetsuya was losing..." Renji tried again.

"It's gonna be fine," Ichigo interrupted, "You're their leader. They'll listen to what you have to say."

"I don't know _what_ to tell them."

"Just tell them what happened."

"Guys..."

"I don't _know_ what happened!"

"We talked about it before we were together. We agreed we weren't ready and we decided to wait for that. It's the truth."

"But that's not how the ability is supposed to work," Byakuya objected.

"Taichou..."

"A moment, Abarai," Byakuya said, turning his attention back to Ichigo, "I have pored over the histories in the past, over every word inscribed about the breeders, and there is much we don't know. I was presumptuous, thinking I understood it well enough to take risks. I should have used a protection charm to be sure!"

"Well, it's not like you knew I was going to sneak up on you like that and..."

"Hey, look, you guys, I think Tetsuya's pregnant too!" Renji announced.

"What are you babbling about, Abarai?" Byakuya asked brusquely.

"It was my fault," Ichigo went on. I'll just tell them that. My clan will take some responsibility."

"They don't want to bring other clans into this!" Byakuya reminded him, "They don't want the other clans to know!"

"I said TETSUYA'S PREGNANT TOO!" Renji yelled.

Byakuya went silent, staring at him.

"Well, good job keeping that secret," Ichigo complained, "You want to yell that a little louder, Renji? A few people in the Seireitei might not have heard you."

"Shut up, Ichigo," Renji snapped, "I couldn't get anyone to listen to me."

He looked back at Byakuya just in time to see the Kuchiki heir flying at him and throwing a blistering punch he barely evaded.

"What are you doing?" he cried.

"You bastard!" Byakuya hissed furiously, "You told me you didn't sleep with my cousin!"

"What? I didn't!"

"Then, how would he be pregnant, you fool! Tetsuya hasn't had a romantic partner since he was a prisoner. He hasn't shared a bed with anyone since he was freed, but you!"

"Whoa, Renji, you slept with Tetsuya?" Ichigo asked, blinking in surprise.

"I slept _next to_ him!" Renji insisted, "We never had sex. I swear it!"

"Then, how would he be pregnant?" Byakuya demanded.

"I don't know!" Renji replied in a flustered tone, "I just said that because he was passing out too. I don't know if he is or isn't."

"Maybe not," Byakuya said, frowning, "But you seemed awfully concerned for someone who did not sleep with him."

His eyes narrowed and his tone darkened ominously.

"And if you are lying to me, Abarai, it will become clear very soon."

"Why would I lie to you?" Renji complained.

"C'mon Renji," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "Everyone knows you sleep with a lot of people...especially young, cute guys like Tetsuya."

"I do not!" Renji argued angrily, "Look, I don't want to settle down, so I date around. Last time I checked, that wasn't a crime. And I don't take advantage of anyone. The guys I'm with all know how I am. I don't lie to them! And anyway, I didn't sleep with Tetsuya-san. He just slept in my bed because he passed out. So, if he is pregnant, he was already pregnant when he spent the night with me."

"You're probably right," Byakuya said, calming, "My apologies for reacting so vehemently. I just...cannot stand anyone doing anything to hurt him. He has endured far too much."

"Yeah, I understand," Renji said, regaining his composure, "No hard feelings."

"Should I go with you to that elders' meeting?" asked Ichigo.

"I think it would be best," Byakuya sighed, shaking his head, "At very least, you can reassure them that you will be discreet and we can work on figuring out what to do."

"We'll get married right away, if they want us to," Ichigo suggested.

Byakuya looked back at him in surprise.

"What? You think I'm not going to take care of my lover and kid? Really?"

"I know we spoke about marriage and children," Byakuya pondered, "But we were speaking of sometime in the future."

"So, the future's going to start a little sooner," Ichigo said, smiling at him, "It's okay. It's all gonna be okay."

"But Taichou, what if Tetsuya-san is pregnant?" Renji asked, "Will he get into trouble?"

Byakuya looked back at the other two men worriedly.

"Whatever their reaction, if Tetsuya is pregnant, there is a larger concern. He was pregnant at the time he left the prison, and he was badly injured. I was forced to choose between the child and him..."

"Oh gods..." Renji breathed, paling at the thought.

"That's horrible," Ichigo agreed.

"I chose Tetsuya and the pregnancy was ended while he was unconscious and unable to speak for himself. And worse, I knew what my cousin would have chosen and I chose to save him anyway."

"Hey, I know Tetsuya well enough to know he wouldn't blame you for something like that," Ichigo interjected gently.

"No," Byakuya agreed, "He told me that he understood completely and that he didn't blame me for following my heart. But I knew even then that if Tetsuya ever became pregnant again, he would, of course, hesitate to tell me. He knows I fear what could happen because of the damage done to him."

"What could happen?" Ichigo inquired.

"His injury forced the spirit chamber within him too close to his spirit core. If he became pregnant again, he would slowly lose his powers, and he would likely die before giving birth. There may be interventions, but it is hard to say if he could be stabilized enough. And Tetsuya is right in thinking that I would be conflicted about that. He would fear that I might try to convince him to abort the pregnancy rather than risking him. I...cannot even promise that I wouldn't. Tetsuya filled an empty space in my life, after my father died. He is the son of my father's first cousin and very best friend. He has been close to me ever since I found him and brought him to live here."

"So, it's hard for you to take risks with him. I get it," said Ichigo, slipping an arm around him.

"I wonder where he is," Byakuya mused anxiously, "I know we haven't been back that long, but he would have come immediately upon learning I was ill."

"That doesn't sound right," Renji said, frowning, "If you want, I can go and look for him while you guys handle the council meeting."

"Would you?" Byakuya asked, still sounding troubled, "We need to know if there is any chance you are right in your suspicion."

"I'll find him," Renji promised, "We'll get to the bottom of things. Just focus on taking care of yourself and your kid. I'll take care of your cousin."

"Thank you, Renji," the noble said gratefully, "You might begin with a trip to the stables. Tetsuya and his stallion share a very close connection. If anyone can help you locate him quickly, it will be Arashi."

"Well, I don't speak horse language, but I'll chat him up and see what I can find out."

Byakuya let out a soft chuckle.

"I assure you, you do not need to speak his language to find out what you need to know. Go on. You will see what I mean."

 _And if you are lying to me and you did take advantage of my cousin, he will teach you a lesson you will not forget._

"Is something funny?" Ichigo asked curiously, watching as Renji flash stepped away.

"No," Byakuya said, turning away, "Come, Ichigo."

The two disappeared out of the bedroom, just as Byakuya's attendant entered, followed by the twelfth division taichou.

"Byakuya-sama?" Torio called, looking around.

"I thought you said he was brought here, you fool!" Mayuri complained, "You are wasting my time. I have experiments waiting.

"He was here just a few minutes ago. I swear it!" insisted Torio.

"Well, when he finds his way back, he can come to me. He knows where to find me."

Torio watched in dismay as the twelfth division taichou turned abruptly and flash stepped away.

"Whew! That man is _horrid_!" Torio whispered, "I feel sorry for his squad."

He sighed and shook his head, then set about picking up Byakuya's abandoned clothing and straightening up the room.


	6. Secret Shame

**Chapter 6: Secret Shame**

 **(I originally started this, thinking it would be a Tetsuya/Renji, but the muse is taking it more in a Ichigo/Byakuya direction that is built around Byakuya and Tetsuya's different relationships. Byakuya is leader, and his leadership will be tested as he negotiates having a child of his own body, while Tetsuya must contend with having unintentionally made a child with Renji, who is essentially a stranger to him, and one he knows does not have exclusive relationships. Lots of drama to come! Enjoy. Love, Spunky.)**

Ichigo sat quietly at Byakuya's side, his golden brown eyes scanning the grand meeting chamber of the Kuchiki elders as the council's leader called the group to order. He sensed a worried flutter in Byakuya's usually calm reiatsu as the meeting began and slipped a warm hand into his lover's.

 _It'll be okay_ , he thought, _I'll just make them understand. I love you, Byakuya. I'm not going to leave you._

He smiled as Byakuya stole a curious glance at him out of the corner of an eye, and he felt some of the tension go out of his lover's body. The two turned their full attention to the head councilor as he continued.

"Lords and ladies," the aged man said, meeting the eyes of the other councilors, "this meeting has been called to discuss the presence that we sensed yesterday, of the conception of a Kuchiki heir. Let me begin by saying that I have taken the time to speak at length with both Byakuya and the other parent of the heir. The situation is a bit messy, but if you will give Byakuya your attention and hear him out, I think we can come to agreement as a group about how best to proceed."

He turned to Byakuya and nodded briefly. Byakuya squeezed Ichigo's hand before releasing it, then he stood and faced the group of subfamily leaders.

"I know that the sudden appearance of an heir is a serious matter," he acknowledged, "I am eager to both offer an explanation of what happened, as well as to assure you that the child's other parent is supportive of efforts to ensure that what has happened does not impact our families negatively. I will come right to the point. We are all well aware that, first, I am a breeder male, capable of carrying young in my body and secondly, I did make every attempt to honor my commitment to keeping my breeder status from the public eye."

"We are to assume then, that you and Ichigo are the parents?" a lady elder asked disapprovingly.

"Who is carrying the child?" asked a male elder.

"Arisu," Nori addressed the woman, "Isas, Byakuya will certainly answer your questions. Let's just give our leader the opportunity to answer what he can with his opening statement to us."

The two councilors frowned, but nodded in assent.

"I acknowledge that I made an agreement to approach the council before ever employing the breeder ability, and I assure you, I did not intentionally break that agreement. I did begin a private courtship with Shiba Ichigo within the past few days, and we have been intimate, but I engaged in that intimacy with no intent to bring an heir. I had, in fact, already scheduled a meeting for next week to discuss how to begin eventual wedding discussions, should things proceed to that level. In every way, I attempted to honor our agreement. I admit that I did not wear a protection charm while with Ichigo, but it was my understanding, considering our knowledge of the breeder ability, that intent was necessary."

"Perhaps you were only fooling yourself about your _intent_ ," Isas sneered, "You do come from a father…"

"Isas, you are out of order," Nori said, calmly, but sternly, "Please hold your comments and allow Byakuya to finish."

"Of course."

"I have had full examinations from our head family healer, as well as the taichou of the fourth division and both agree I am with child. Neither can explain how the ability was activated. I was splashed with a contaminant in the recent explosion at the twelfth division. The contaminant was an excretion from a quincy being detained there, and from what intelligence we have been able to retrieve, it is believed this could be the source of the odd changes in my body."

"You expect us to believe that it just happened this compound affected your breeder ability and you happened to begin your relationship with Ichigo that day?" demanded Kuchiki Sora, "I don't know about the rest of them, but I think that's a little convenient, isn't it?"

"What are you suggesting?" Arisu asked, "You are saying that Byakuya intentionally exposed himself to this compound? Did you hear him say it was in an explosion? I do not approve of what has happened, however, I am very reluctant to believe that our leader would intentionally do something that could have injured him, in some desperate attempt to activate the breeder ability. It is about as far-fetched as can be."

"I would agree," Isas added, "but Byakuya does have a history of both deceiving the council on occasion and of rule breaking."

"But in this case," Nori said firmly, "Byakuya has been completely forthright about what has happened, and he has done so in a timely fashion, so that we, as a group, can choose the best course of action together."

"Ichigo and I have discussed the matter at length," Byakuya went on, "and we would like to impress upon the council that we understand the seriousness of this matter, and we would like to seek the council's advice on how to proceed."

Byakuya paused, a flicker of annoyance touching his expression as he saw Isas's elder son whisper something into his father's ear. Isas nodded and met Byakuya's eyes squarely.

"If I may ask another related question first," he requested, carefully keeping his tone polite."

"What is it?" Byakuya inquired.

"I was curious. Orochi pointed out for me that Tetsuya was also caught in the blast. My question is, has be also had his breeder ability activated?"

"How would I know something like that?" Byakuya asked, frowning, "I am no healer, and Tetsuya has not indicated that he even has an intimate relationship."

"While I agree you would not know," Councilor Arisu added, "it might be advisable, since Tetsuya also has an agreement with the council regarding his breeder ability, and yours seems to have been unexpectedly activated by the explosion."

"We don't know that for sure," Ichigo objected, "The healers were speculating."

"Whether or not it was speculation," Councilor Sora said condescendingly, "the fact that one of the ones with this ability, who had an agreement with us, has ended up with child suggests we do need to verify whether or not Tetsuya is vulnerable to pregnancy. If, indeed, he is, we need to take measures to make sure that he does not now become pregnant. One scandal is enough, don't you think?"

"I will check into Tetsuya's situation and inform the council if there is a need for concern, although I doubt very much that Tetsuya could be pregnant, as his healers were sure after his injury escaping the noble's prison, that such conception would be unlikely and very unlikely to proceed full term," Byakuya said stiffly, "But, back to the matter at hand. There is a child on the way, and Ichigo and I are his or her parents. We are amenable to marriage, but we need to know how to broach the subject of the heirs."

"I don't see what the fuss is," commented a middle aged councilor with dark steel eyes and slicked back hair, "Times have changed. I think the noble families are ready to just admit that these things happen. Byakuya came to us as soon as he was aware of this. Why not just get ahead of the gossip and explain what happened?"

"Are you mad, Ryuu?" Isas snapped, "The noble families are not ready to hear that the greatest noble leader is capable of being used a brood mare. We'd be a laughingstock!"

"You are out of order!" Nori replied, slamming his gavel down, "You may certainly argue against Councilor Ryuu's suggestion, but you will do so in a civil manner!"

"Look," Ryuu said, shaking his head, "we are the Kuchiki family. We are the strongest of the noble clans. Leader's need to set the tone. I say that if we bring this out into the open and stop making it sound like Byakuya did something wrong, we'll set a better example than hiding behind a bunch of lies that will probably not fool that many people. We ought to just say what happened and support Byakuya one hundred percent in carrying this child. Besides, do you honestly think that the Shiba clan is going to sit back and just keep quiet in this? They have an heir on the way too. Ichigo is the father, and there's no hiding the birth of his child from his clan's senses. I'm telling you, the best move is to be honest and not act like someone did something wrong."

"I agree with Ryuu," said a very aged female elder, "I know that there is still a lot of prejudice against the natural breeder males. But whether we speak of this publicly or not, it will still be a fact."

"I agree with you heartily, Chinami," Nori said approvingly, "The quincy war is just recently behind us, but one of the lessons we learned is how lies of omission can hurt us. I think we all know that if the first quincy war and subsequent genocide had not been covered up, we would not have been blindsided in the second was as we were. We do have standards we try to uphold, but some uncomfortable truths need to just be laid out and acknowledged."

"The mistake of the breeders…" Isas began.

"The breeders who were made have been wiped out," Nori said sternly, "The breeders we see before us had no say in what they are. And both Byakuya and Tetsuya have acted in ways that benefit our clan greatly."

"I have another suggestion," interjected the clan's record keeper, "I wonder if we need to make any statement at all about the origins of the child."

"What? What do you mean, Fumio?" asked Nori.

"I mean that we don't really owe anyone an explanation at all. We have an heir on the way and Byakuya and Ichigo want to be married. Let them be married and, when asked, simply give no comment at all. Our business is our own."

"I suppose that argument does have merit," Nori said hesitantly, "It is not lying. And you are correct that we do not owe answers to the other clans."

"I do worry about the gossip," Arisu reflected.

"Oh, people will always be talking," Chinami chuckled, "We can't stop that."

"Agreed," said Nori, looking around, "Are there any other suggestions?"

The other members of the group remained quiet and shook their heads.

"Very well. Let us bring this to a vote. And remember that our vote is merely a commitment of the elders to how we will advise Byakuya and Ichigo. Our vote does not bind them to agreement, but it does indicate our will in this matter."

He looked around for a moment, then nodded.

"All in support of Isas's suggestion that we make a public statement misleading the other clans about the heir's conception?"

He looked in Fumio's direction.

"Please note four votes for this recommendation. All in support of admitting publicly to Byakuya's breeder status and fully supporting him in the public eye."

He paused again as the record keeper noted four votes.

"And how many support us simply refusing to answer questions regarding the heir?"

Nori nodded.

"Fumio, please note there are four votes for this option. The council has divided on the issue, so as per our rules, I am given the deciding vote in the matter. And, considering the larger number against publicly revealing Byakuya's breeder status, I am afraid I must place my vote for advising silence on the matter."

He looked into Byakuya's eyes with a measure of regret.

"Byakuya, let me assure you that I would happily have voted to allow this to be made public, however it is my duty to do my best to represent the true will of the council and to balance everyone's needs. As I explained before, this vote is advisory, and you may still opt to reveal your breeder status, but no one on the council will speak publicly on the matter to support you. As of now, all council members are barred from making any such statements."

"So, you're just going to put pressure on Byakuya like that, and sit back, yourselves and not say anything?" Ichigo asked angrily, "Do you honestly think that your silence is going to be worth anything? You're not going to keep this a secret. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. I'm the heir, not the Shiba leader. And our leader, my dad, is not really good about keeping other people's secrets. You are just going to end up looking stupid!"

"I am sorry," Nori said sternly, "but you are out of order, Shiba Ichigo," Nori said unhappily, "The council did not order Byakuya to remain silent. He may, of course, do as he wishes, but he will do it alone."

"That's where you're wrong," Ichigo said, squeezing Byakuya's hand and coaxing the Kuchiki leader to his feet, "See, because I'm with Byakuya on whatever he decides to do. As much as you want to shame him into being silent, I'm not ashamed. We didn't do anything wrong. Byakuya didn't choose to be a breeder male and we didn't plan to conceive a child right now. We came to you because Byakuya cares about all of you and he wanted your support. You gave him nothing. You people damned well don't deserve him!"

"Ichigo," Byakuya objected.

"C'mon, let's get out of here, okay?" Ichigo said, smiling kindly at his lover, "We've heard enough of their bullshit. Let's go and figure out what we're gonna do."

Byakuya started to answer, then he blinked slowly and a little smile formed at the corners of his mouth.

"Yes," he agreed, "I have heard enough. Let us go."

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya stirred on the examination table, making a soft sound of discomfort as he registered that he had been placed in kido bindings.

"Wh-what? What is happening? Where am I?" he moaned, turning his head and opening his eyes.

He stiffened as he found himself looking into Nemu's unrevealing expression.

"Let me go!" he gasped, struggling.

"Please calm down," Nemu said firmly, "I have every intention of letting you go, but you must first listen to me."

"Untie me first!" Tetsuya demanded.

"I can't do that," Nemu said calmly, "The chances are too high that in your current state of mind, you would flee before I could warn you."

Tetsuya's scowl deepened.

"Warn me? Warn me about what? What are you talking about?"

"You are pregnant, Kuchiki Tetsuya," Nemu explained, "and the tests and examinations that my taichou is wanting to run are dangerous to your child, and to you. As much as I am accustomed to doing as I am told, I do not want to watch as you and your baby are destroyed. You need competent medical care. Your spirit chamber is currently residing too close to your spirit core. As your pregnancy progresses, you will require surgery to create room for the spirit chamber. In addition, you will need infusions, preferably from the father, as his are most likely to keep you stabilized as you progress. I will let you go now, but I want you to promise that you will go to Kuchiki taichou and request help from him. Your life and the life of your unborn child are in danger."

"I know," Tetsuya said, deflating, "I suspected that was why I was fainting and so sick. I just…don't know what to do."

Nemu looked back at him silently.

"Renji-san is a free-spirited person," Tetsuya continued, "He will not want to be burdened with this. There must be a way to do this without him. I don't want him to know."

Nemu's head tilted slightly as she considered.

"But he is the baby's father."

"Yes," Tetsuya agreed, "but Renji doesn't want a mate or a child. He has been clear about that publicly. Everyone who knows Renji, knows he does not want to settle down. And besides, my family would be up in arms with me for causing a scandal, getting pregnant by a Rukongai commoner. Whatever I might think, I made a promise to inform and work with the council before using the breeder ability. I am already going to be in trouble with the elders for conceiving, and to add conceiving that child with a commoner…although, I am of mixed blood, myself, so I don't know why they care. But, that's all beside the point. I can't tell my cousin and I can't tell Renji. I know I need help and you seem to care more than your taichou, so…can you help me?"

"You could approach Urahara Kisuke," she suggested hesitantly, "He is a talented scientist and often finds answers where others can't. He might be able to help you."

"Maybe," Tetsuya sighed, rubbing his hands over his face.

He considered silently for a moment, then looked back at Nemu's calm, reflective face.

"May I ask you something?"

Nemu nodded briefly.

"Why are you disobeying your taichou to help me?" Tetsuya asked, "He is an unforgiving man. Won't he be angry with you?"

"Yes," Nemu said simply, "but…"

Her eyes misted very slightly.

"Lately, I have had unusual impulses to…do what feels right to me. Mayuri-sama calls this mutiny, but it doesn't feel wrong to let you go."

She looked down to where Tetsuya's still slim abdomen, then released him from the bonds.

"You had best go quickly, Kuchiki Tetsuya," she advised him, "and make sure that you stay close to someone who can protect you. Your powers will fluctuate and you will continue to have strong physical symptoms."

Tetsuya nodded.

"I will go to Karakura Town now," he decided, "Thank you. Thank you so much for following your heart and letting me go."

Nemu watched as he left, one hand moving so that the graceful fingertips could feel her heart beating."

"You are welcome," she whispered, "Kuchiki Tetsuya."


	7. An Insult to Dreams

**Chapter 7: An Insult to Dreams**

Tetsuya hurried through the precipice world, carefully following Kurotsuchi Nemu's admonition to him to be careful as he traveled to Karakura Town. He kept a waterform curled around his slender form, hiding him from the eyes of the twelfth division officers who monitored the area. The chill in the passage made him shiver uncomfortably, but he ignored the sensation and focused on reaching the Karakura exit as swiftly as possible.

He flash stepped through the exit point and landed gently on the sandy floor in Urahara Kisuke's underground training room. He gave a sigh of relief at finding the training room empty, and headed to the ladder, which he climbed to reach the candy shop above him. As he exited the training room and entered the shop hallway, Kisuke stepped out of his lab and skidded to a stop, breaking into a smile.

"Kuchiki-san," he greeted Tetsuya politely, "what brings you? Byakuya need something? I sent him all the info I had on the quincy powers I've studied."

"It's not about my cousin," Tetsuya said, pausing to search for the right words, "Urahara-san, I am the one who needs your help. Can we speak privately?"

"Sure," Kisuke said, nodding, "Tessai and the kids are out right now. I don't expaect anyone to be back for awhile. We can talk in the kitchen. I was just about to have something to eat. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually," Tetsuya confessed, "I'm afraid I've been distracted and not caring for my own needs properly. I am…worried about something. I need help, and you may be the only person who can understand and do something."

"That sounds serious," Kisuke said, leading Tetsuya into the kitchen. He moved to the stove and set a pot of water to boil, then took out several ingredients to use for their meal, "Why don't you just start at the beginning?"

"Okay," Tetsuya said uneasily, "You remember the incident at the twelfth division? The one in which Byakuya-sama was splashed with a contaminant?"

"Yeah," Kisuke affirmed, "Yeah, I do. I've been going back and forth with Byakuya about it, because now he's saying he turned up pregnant."

"Byakuya-sama is pregnant?" Tetsuya repeated, his eyes widening, "The council must be all up in arms!"

"Yeah, so I've been trying to help Byakuya explain the best we can what happened, and how out of his control this is."

Kisuke's head tilted slightly.

"You were splashed with that stuff too, weren't you?" Kisuke recalled, "Were you checked out after?"

"Yes."

"I hope there weren't any bad effects, although the only one we seemed to come up with was pregnancy."

"I was trapped with Renji-san for a time after the explosion," Tetsuya interrupted.

Kisuke went silent, staring as he reflected on the information.

"You…had sex with Renji?" he asked cautiously, "Not to be rude, but…"

"I was trapped with Renji-san," Tetsuya went on, "and while we were trapped, we sort of lost our senses. I don't know for how long, but when I came around, it was obvious to me that he were intimate while we were affected. And it has just been confirmed that I am with child."

"You're pregnant with Renji's kid?" Kisuke asked, his eyes softening with understanding, "I can see why you need help, but, Tetsuya, are you sure I'm the right person to help you? I mean…I am…"

Tetsuya took a steadying breath.

"You are the one who Byakuya ordered to take my child, so that my life could be saved," he said softly, "Yes, I remember that fact. I also know full well that you wanted very much to save us both."

"It was an impossible situation," Kisuke said apologetically, "I really did give it everything, but you were so malnourished and injured. The thing is, you're not malnourished and injured this time, Tetsuya."

"I have been warned numerous times that to become pregnant again could endanger my life. I did not mean for this to happen, Urahara-san."

"Please, call me Kisuke," the shopkeeper said kindly, "We're friends, Tetsuya."

"Kisuke," Tetsuya said solemnly, "I can't help the circumstances that brought me to this. I did not choose to sleep with Renji-san. I did not plan to become pregnant. But this child does not deserve to die because my plans went awry. This child does deserve the best chance to live. I haven't forgotten that your hands took my and Naoki's child, but this heart knows that you did everything within your power to save all of us. If you could not save them, no one could. Please, I need your help. Will you help me have this child?"

Kisuke gazed quietly at Tetsuya, his hands working absently at making their meal. He thought carefully for several moments, then frowned.

"What does Renji say about all of this?" he asked finally.

"Renji-san doesn't know," Tetsuya confessed, lowering his eyes, "I don't want Renji-san to know!"

Tetsuya sucked in a shocked breath and Kisuke made a sound of surprise as Renji's voice issued from the kitchen doorway.

"You don't want me to know what?" he asked, looking into Tetsuya's suddenly terrified eyes, "That you're pregnant? I already know. What I need to ask you is why it's so important to you to keep it a secret from me. What's going on, Tetsuya? What haven't you told me?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"We should have gone looking for Tetsuya," Byakuya complained, his body tensing under the warm water in the oversized bathtub he and Ichigo occupied, "I do not know why I let you convince me to come to the Shiba estate. Tetsuya is…"

"Tetsuya is going to be fine," Ichigo said, pouring water over the back of his lover's dark hair and gently working in a measure of shampoo, "You heard what Renji learned from Arashi. Tetsuya seemed to be headed to Karakura Town. He was probably going to Kisuke, which, if Renji's right and he is pregnant, would be a good thing, ne?"

"I suppose," Byakuya sighed unhappily, "but we should be there."

"Take it easy," Ichigo soothed him, "You know it's not good for you to get all worked up. It destabilizes your reiatsu and the baby's. You need to stay calm and trust me. Tetsuya will be all right. In fact, I think it might be good to let him talk to Kisuke alone. Let him work through some of this and then we'll go and be there to help in whatever way we can. He's gonna need some time to think, to just reflect on everything. We should let him do that."

"I imagine you are right," Byakuya confessed softly, "But I am worried about him, Ichigo. What if he is pregnant? What if the worst things that the healers told him become fact?"

"Don't do this to yourself," Ichigo said, shaking his head firmly, "Okay? You don't know what's going to happen, and sitting here, torturing yourself about it isn't going to help Tetsuya or you. It won't help our baby, or Tetsuya's, if he's having one. Relax and try to rest. Let me take care of you so that you're at your best for handling all of this. We'll clean up, have something to eat, and then, I'm sure Renji will let us know what's going on. He'll find Tetsuya, and he'll make sure you cousin's all right."

Byakuya took a steadying breath and nodded, falling quiet under Ichigo's hands.

"I do wonder," Byakuya mused, looking down into the bubbly water, "If Tetsuya is pregnant, and Renji is not the father, who is? Under what circumstances, exactly, did Tetsuya become pregnant?"

"Shh," Ichigo breathed into his ear, "we're gonna find out soon. Just let it go and let me take care of you. It's okay, Byakuya. It'll be okay."

Byakuya went silent, closing his dark, anxious eyes and leaning back against Ichigo as the ginger-haired man washed the shampoo out of his hair, then settled in behind him, hugging him comfortingly.

"I've got you," Ichigo whispered, "I'm not going to let you go. You're beautiful, so damned beautiful, carrying our baby, that it hurts to look at you sometimes. I love you both so much. I can't wait to meet our baby."

"It doesn't matter at all to you that the elders are acting as though we have committed some kind of crime? They are treating this child already, as though he or she is a mistake they do not want to acknowledge."

"They don't really have a choice about acknowledging the baby," Ichigo laughed softly, "This is the Kuchiki heir, or the Shiba heir, and we'll have another heir for whoever doesn't have one after we're married and this little one comes. Don't worry about everything. It's not like it was a long time ago. They don't hunt down breeder males anymore."

"No, they just try to make them invisible," Byakuya sighed wearily, "While they cannot erase me, they can interfere with Tetsuya. I will protect him all I can."

"We'll protect him. You and me. And it will be enough," Ichigo promised, "Trust me, it'll be okay."

Byakuya let out a long breath, his reiatsu settling, a development that brought a relieved smile to Ichigo's lips.

"You better now?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you."

"Good, you were worrying me."

"I just needed to get my bearings," Byakuya assured him, "This is helping. You were right to suggest it. And Tetsuya does need time to divine his exact situation before anyone jumps in and tries to make his decisions for him."

"We're not going to let him get railroaded, and we're not gonna be either. You and I are going to be happy, Byakuya. We're going to make a beautiful family. Don't worry anymore about pleasing that group of old prunes. They don't matter. All that does is taking care of our family."

"Yes, I agree."

Ichigo smiled and turned Byakuya to face him, and his lover slid onto his lap, meeting him for several long, wet kisses.

"I love you so much," Ichigo whispered between kisses, "I love how it feels being inside you."

"Then, you are welcome there," Byakuya answered, blushing slightly as he spread his thighs invitingly.

Ichigo shifted, positioning himself, then entering slowly, still kissing his raven-haired lover warmly as they joined. He held onto Byakuya's soft bottom, keeping his own movements slow.

"I'm sorry for all of the trouble this is causing, but I'm glad we're having a baby together and getting married."

"Are you really?" Byakuya asked, almost shyly.

"Yeah, I am. It's all gonna be okay. We just have to get through the next few days, let things settle down, then we'll be able to relax and enjoy the rest of this. I can't wait until the baby's born."

"I cannot either," Byakuya confessed, "I have wanted to have a family. I wanted this badly. Things did not work out for Hisana and I, but I think they will for you and me."

"I know they will," Ichigo agreed, hugging Byakuya and thrusting harder and faster, "We're gonna be so happy."

"I already am."

The two went quiet as their underwater undulations carried them over and into bliss. They continued to kiss and caress each other for some time after, before sliding out of the cooling water, still exchanging kisses and touches as they dressed and headed for Karakura Town.

XXXXXXXXXX

This sounds kinda private," Kisuke said, tipping his hat and heading out of the kitchen.

"Hey, you don't have to leave," Renji assured him, "Tetsuya trusts you, and so do I. Besides, we will probably both have some questions for you. So, if you don't mind, I'd like you to stay."

Kisuke nodded briefly.

"O-kay."

He turned his attention back to the stove as Renji sat down at the table, beside Tetsuya and turned to face him.

"Look," he said quietly, "I know you're scared. Byakuya told me about what happened when you were pregnant before. That's gotta be hard for you."

"I feel all right, at the moment," Tetsuya answered softly, "But I, don't know how to say to you what needs to be said. Just understand, neither one of us had any control over what happened. It was that compound that we were sprayed with. I think it…did something to us."

"You, uh, you're saying that something happened between us while we were trapped?" Renji asked, narrowing his eyes, "I don't remember anything happening. Do you?"

"W-well, not exactly happening," Tetsuya explained, "but the truth is…I woke up and you were…on top of me and still inside me."

"Wh-what?" Renji asked, going pale, "You're saying that you and I had sex?"

"I don't remember it either!" Tetsuya exclaimed, "Just waking up that way. It isn't your fault or mine, Renji-san. It was the compound that affected our minds and led us to become intimate."

"But…your cousin and Ichigo didn't say anything like that happened to them," Renji said in a stunned voice, "Byakuya's pregnant too, but they…"

"My cousin is pregnant?" Tetsuya interrupted, "Do the elders know?"

"Yeah, Byakuya went to talk to them today, while I went and talked to your horse to try to find you. By the way, he's got a really weird sense of humor. In fact, he's kind of a smartass. Anyway, he said he sensed you on your way here, so while Taichou was taking care of things with the elders, I came to find you. But, I had no idea that I could be the father. I really didn't know, Tetsuya!"

"I guess it explains that kiss," Tetsuya said softly, looking down at his hands, "The baby's reiatsu is affecting us, because it is natural for the father to infuse the bearer with balancing reiatsu to keep everything stable. I think, in our sleep that night, we were performing that function and the kiss was a result of the attractive forces."

"Yeah, I guess," Renji mused, shaking his head, "This is all going real fast."

Tetsuya's eyes filled with sudden tears.

"Renji-san, I am not asking for anything from you. I have come to Karakura Town so that Urahara-san can help me have the baby. You do not have to do anything. I don't want to obligate you."

"Not obligate me?" Renji repeated, his lips tightening, "Tetsuya, this isn't just your kid, he or she's my kid too. However it happened, I'm not just going to dump everything in your lap. I'm going to help you. We may not be lovers, but we're friends right?"

"We are," Tetsuya agreed, "I wasn't saying that we aren't. I just…the last time I was pregnant…"

"I know what happened," Renji assured him, "Taichou told me. Tetsuya, you're a lot stronger now, and you've got Kisuke helping you."

"I was helping him last time," Kisuke interjected softly, "Renji, I couldn't save the baby and Tetsuya before. This is risky."

"I know," Renji said with certainty, "I also know that things are different this time. I'm not giving up, and neither should you. We're gonna get through this. It's gonna be all right."

"How can you be sure?" Tetsuya sighed anxiously, "Nothing is certain."

"Well, one thing is," Renji said, taking Tetsuya's hands in his, "I'm gonna do right by you and the baby."

"What does that mean?" Tetsuya asked warily.

"I want Kisuke to marry us," Renji answered, earning a look of dismay from Tetsuya as Kisuke dropped the spoon he was using to stir their food.

"Whoa, what?" the shopkeeper mused.

"Renji-san, no!" Tetsuya objected, "I know you don't want a mate and a child! You've made that very publicly clear. I will not marry someone like that."

"Hey, I know my reputation. I get why you have doubts, but there's a kid to think about."

"There is also the elders' reaction," Tetsuya reminded him.

"They don't want an unwed parent," Renji said, "I get it."

"They will not be much happier with me marrying someone who will not remain faithful to me!" Tetusya argued.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked, his reiatsu sparking, "Tetsuya, I'm not gonna cheat on you. If I marry you…"

"You hardly know me!" Tetsuya shouted, standing and backing away, "I don't want this! I don't want to obligate you when it's clear that isn't what you want!"

"Well, what we wanted and planned just got upended by the fact that you and I are going to be the parents of a baby!" Renji yelled back, "You know, you may be carrying the kid, but I have feelings about our baby too!"

"You didn't even know the baby was yours until just now!"

"That doesn't matter. I know now and I wanna fix this!"

"You can't fix it!" Tetusya sobbed, backing away and Renji stepped forward, "Renji-san, you have to let go of this."

Tetsuya sucked in a shocked breath as Renji's flash step sounded and the redhead caught him in strong, unyielding arms.

"Hey," he said more softly, looking down into Tetsuya's teary eyes, "I'm not letting go of anything. You're having my kid. I'm marrying you."

Tetsuya stared at him wordlessly for several long moments, then he sighed in resignation.

"You aren't going to give this up, are you?"

"Let me tell you something," Renji said in a tightly controlled voice, "You aren't the only one whose lost a mate and a kid here. I did too."

"You…?"

"I was gonna marry the girl who was having my baby, down in the Rukongai, Tetsuya, years ago. Hollows attacked when I wasn't there, and she and the baby died. I have…dreams about them every night. I think about them every goddamned day! I can't get them back, ever. But you, you're here…standing here, right in front of me, and you're having my kid! I'm scared to death too, but…I wanna do this. Tetsuya, please tell me you'll marry me and give us a chance!"


	8. Shotgun Wedding

**Chapter 8: Shotgun Wedding**

 **(Still in the middle of nowhere and with horrible Internet, but MAN is it ever pretty here! Enjoy the new chapter. I will catch up on shout outs when we get back to civilization. Love to all, Spunky)**

Tetsuya's head bowed and he looked down to where Renji's rough hands still held his. He tried to imagine those same hands touching him sexually, and felt a throb of panic blossom in his chest. He tried to pull his hands free, only to feel Renji's fingers tighten as the redhead's cinnamon eyes gazed down at him questioningly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "You know I'm serious. I get the facts of the situation, and I'm ready to do the right thing, here."

"I understand," Tetsuya said, his voice shaking, "I just…don't know if I can…"

"I'm not marrying you two unless both of you want it to happen," Kisuke said, looking over from where he stood in front of the stove, "Seems like Tetsuya's not so sure."

"I'm sorry," Tetsuya apologized, "I know that marriage could calm the elders' criticisms somewhat, as long as there are no public… _incidences_."

Renji scowled.

"Tetsuya, I'm not gonna cheat on you. I'm not! I admit that I made no secret of playing the field. I never took advantage of anyone and I never, ever cheated. Every partner I've had got the truth from me, day one. Not only that, they agreed to what we were doing. And I _never_ promised anyone since that girl in Inuzuri that I wouldn't sleep with other people. When I give my word, it means something. If you marry me, I'll be faithful to you."

Tetsuya nodded.

"I am not saying I don't believe you," he said, struggling with the words, "What is weighing on me is…"

He broke off as he noticed two men approaching the kitchen and he stiffened in reaction.

"Byakuya-sama," he whispered, bowing his head so that he barely met the Kuchiki leader's dark, worried eyes, "Ichigo-sama."

"Hey," Ichigo said, smiling to lighten the mood, "you know I've told you not to use honorifics when you talk to me. Were friends, Tetsuya. Quit it, okay?"

"S-sure, Ichigo," Tetsuya answered, blushing.

"Taichou," Renji said, his jaw clenching slightly, "Ah, you look a little better, more relaxed."

"Hmm," Byakuya muttered disapprovingly, glaring in the redhead's direction.

Renji noticed suddenly that he was still holding Tetsuya's trembling hands, and he hastily let go.

"Sorry, Tetsuya and I were just ah…talking about…his situation."

"I see," Byakuya said, turning his gaze onto his cousin's bowed head, "Tetsuya, I have been worried about you. Am I to understand by your reaction that you are, as Renji suspected, pregnant?"

Tetsuya frowned and glanced at the redhead, then looked back at Byakuya tentatively.

"What made Renji-san think I am pregnant?" he asked, "I am not denying it. It is a fact, but…"

"Well," Ichigo said, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, "Byakuya passed out while we were on our mission."

"He did?" Tetsuya asked, looking alarmed.

"I am fine," Byakuya assured him, "But this was when we discovered, to our surprise, that Ichigo had impregnated me. Although we admit to being intimate, we did not intend for this to happen. Renji was listening as I discussed the breeder males, and he divined from what I said, that you were showing symptoms as well."

He looked from Renji to Tetsuya, then back again.

"I assume that you have confirmed that you are with child?"

"Yes," Tetsuya said cautiously.

Byakuya gave Tetsuya a more gentle look.

"I was not aware that you were seeing anyone, Tetsuya. Is the father of the child amenable to marriage?"

Tetsuya paled at the question and nodded.

"He has said that he will marry me."

"And…who is the father, Tetsuya?" Byakuya asked.

Tetsuya stared back at his cousin, his heart pounding and his lips refusing to move. Renji noticed his distress and stepped forward.

"I'm the father."

Byakuya's slender body went taught and his eyes glinted with mayhem as the reiatsu in the room swelled.

" _You_!" he growled, stepping towards Renji.

Tetsuya moved suddenly, taking up a position between the two. Byakuya skidded to a halt, glaring at the grim faced redhead.

"It's not his fault!" Tetsuya insisted, "Byakuya-sama, it happened while we were trapped."

"What happened?" Byakuya demanded, "Tetsuya, the man swore to me that he did not have sex with you! And yet…"

"It's because he didn't know! He didn't remember that it happened," Tetsuya explained, "I wouldn't have known, myself, but when I woke after…w-well, it was obvious."

Tetsuya's voice failed him and he took a steadying breath.

"It really wasn't anyone's fault," he said more confidently, "That compound affected our senses. I know this, Byakuya-sama, because Renji-san would never take advantage of me, and I would never have willingly…"

He paused again, giving Renji a mortified look.

"It isn't that you aren't a good person," he clarified, "It's that the last time I was intimate with someone, the last time I opened my heart to someone, that person died. I have tried to become comfortable with the idea of someday having another partner, but I don't feel ready. Renji-san is my friend, and this whole thing was an unfortunate accident. It truly was, Byakuya-sama. Please don't blame Renji-san."

Byakuya's expression calmed a measure, but his reiatsu remained oppressive.

"Whether or not I blame Renji for impregnating you," he said solemnly, "there are still a number of disturbing things to consider. The first, and most important, is your health, Tetsuya."

"I am fine for the moment," Tetsuya assured him, "I already know that the spirit chamber lies in a position where it will grow to interfere with my spirit core, however, Urahara-san has agreed to work closely with me to monitor my health and to surgically correct the situation if it is necessary later."

"Tetsuya's right," Kisuke added, "He's in good health now. Things are different than before, and I will make every effort to bring him and the baby through this."

"I am sure you will," Byakuya replied, still frowning, "Yet, even if Tetsuya is stronger, there is an emotional component to this as well."

He moved closer to Tetsuya, taking his cousin's hand and looking steadily into his eyes.

"Tetsuya, no one knows the state of your heart as well as you and I do. From the moment that Naoki fell, I have been with you and I have shared the long, difficult path of your recovery. I understand that clinging pain that you feel, that unending longing for what was lost, because I have lost someone too. Renji lives in a different place than we do. He has not had the experiences we have."

"No," Tetsuya agreed, glancing tentatively in Renji's direction and earning a little, encouraging smile in return, "but he has had pain of his own during his childhood in the low Rukongai."

"I am not disputing that Renji's early life was difficult. I know very well that it was. But we are talking about losing the first loves we both had. Renji thinks of love in a much different way, having more partners and a more casual attitude…"

"What Tetsuya's trying to tell you," Renji interrupted, "is that I do have an experience like his…like yours, Taichou. The first person I was ever with, the Rukongai girl who I was going to have a baby with…was killed by hollows."

Byakuya gazed back at Renji quietly, a measure of understanding reaching his eyes.

"Ah, I see. I was not aware of this."

"You never mentioned it to me either," Ichigo added, a note of surprise in his tone.

Renji let out a slow breath.

"Well, things end like that for people in the low Rukongai," he said in a low, rough voice, "Just like they do for people locked up in prisons. You, me, Tetsuya, we all have our own pain. We have our issues. But, what's more important is that this kid needs a good start."

Renji met Tetsuya's frightened eyes with a look of longing that melted the blue-eyed man's heart in his chest. Tetsuya held his breath as Renji continued.

"Tetsuya, I know you deserve better than me," he reasoned, "I get that you're afraid I can't commit myself. I want you to trust me. I don't promise fidelity unless I really mean it. I will be the best husband I can be. I won't be your Naoki and you aren't my Tsuru. We're just a couple of broken things who both want to give our kid better than what we had. I'll take care of you. And I think that if we both try, we could love each other."

He turned to Byakuya, meeting his taichou's stern eyes calmly.

"Taichou, I promise that I will do everything I can to keep Tetsuya and our baby safe and to make them happy. I get that you don't trust me, because we look at love differently, but we also both want the same things here. Will you please give me your permission and your blessing to marry Tetsuya?"

Byakuya glanced at Tetsuya and felt his heart drop at the sight of the tears that had leaked onto his cousin's pale face.

"Tetsuya?" he inquired softly, "you do not have to do anything that you do not want. If you cannot commit to marrying Renji, we will still find a suitable path."

Byakuya gave his cousin a stymied look, but Renji curved a warm palm around Tetsuya's damp cheek, looking down into his eyes.

"You're terrified. I know," he whispered, making Tetsuya's heart pound furiously and his skin flush, "You just don't know how you're gonna deal with all of the things that you'll have to do once we're married. You…haven't been with anyone since Naoki?"

Tetsuya shook his head wordlessly, letting out a shaky breath.

"You're afraid of what we have to do on our wedding night?"

Tetsuya gave another tentative nod.

"Me too," Renji admitted, "Taichou, Tetsuya, I'm gonna tell you something that I've never said to anyone. See, I don't sleep with a lot of people because I can't commit myself or because I don't wanna settle down. I did have someone I wanted to love for the rest of my life. I had a kid on the way. I had…just made a good beginning for us, then all of a sudden, that future was ripped away from me. Everything after that has been just trying to work through the pain…to get myself back to where I could think of those things and want them again without feeling afraid. I'm not there yet, but I'm going to try to be what you need, what our baby needs. Please, marry me and give me a chance to be the husband I would have been to her…to be the father I would have been to that lost child."

Renji fell silent, suddenly aware of the stricken look that had risen on Byakuya's face, and the fact that Ichigo had placed a steadying arm around the Kuchiki leader as Byakuya gazed at him, lost for words. Kisuke stood, silently watching, and Tetsuya had brushed away his tears and moved closer to the redhead.

"You are right that I am afraid. I admit that I am, as you said, terrified. I am afraid of what it will feel like to marry a man who does not love me. I am afraid to lie down with you and give myself to you on our wedding night. I am afraid to even try to think of the future. But, your courage strengthens me. Your willingness to try…your dedication to our child…these things speak to my heart. If you will try, then I will also. If you are willing to face your fears, so will I."

"Are you sure?" Renji asked cautiously, "Byakuya's right. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. I know I came on strong, but it's just because this baby is on the way. He or she is already real…and close. Our baby needs a good start. Whatever you decide, we'll find a way to accomplish that. I just offer marriage because it's what I think is best. I think we can do this. I think you and I have what it takes to make this work."

Tetsuya took two more steadying breaths.

"If you believe that strongly, then I will too," he agreed.

Kisuke grinned.

"So, it's on? We're getting married?" he asked.

"Y-yes," Tetsuya said, his blush darkening, "I will marry you, Renji."

"And I," Byakuya said, turning to his surprised lover, "would like to marry you, Ichigo."

"Here?" Ichigo asked, grinning widely, "Now? With them?"

"Yes," Byakuya said confidently, "Perhaps it is the sincerity of their words to each other, or maybe it is just that my condition is making me more emotional. Whatever this is, yes, I do very much want to marry you right now."

"What about the old men? The rules and traditions?" Ichigo inquired.

Byakuya inhaled deeply.

"We are already out of bounds," he acknowledged, "We have stepped over those lines and cannot step back. The elders could have thrown their support behind me. They meant to embarrass me by refusing to say anything publicly. But…they have also tied their own hands, as now, they cannot say anything against me either."

Ichigo laughed merrily.

"I guess ol' Nori knew what he was doing when he made his vote."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed readily, "He knew that if he went against the majority, who did not want anything to be said publicly, he could undermine his position and give his critics on the council the power to force him out of leadership. But, to agree with them made certain he could not be blamed. And at the same time, agreeing with them means that they are also barred from undermining me publicly."

"You know," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "I really like that guy."

"He is a valuable ally," Byakuya agreed, "and one of my grandfather's closest confidantes."

"Your grandfather's a smart guy."

"Yes."

Ichigo met Kisuke's pleased gaze and nodded.

"Looks like you're marrying all of us," he said happily.

"Sure you don't want anyone else to come? Rukia? Uryu? Sado? Orihime?" asked the shopkeeper.

Byakuya sighed.

"I think we had best just take care of the formalities now and plan a reception with our friends and relatives after. Although I would love to send a shockwave through the Seireitei with this, I want more to do what I can to protect all of us and our children. If we are belligerent, we would invite what could end up in violence. No, it is better to do this quietly and not make waves."

"I think you're probably right," Ichigo agreed.

Kisuke turned off the stove and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel.

"Well, I at least insist on us going into the gardens, where it's a little prettier for a wedding," he chuckled.

"I find that idea agreeable," Byakuya replied, taking Ichigo's hand.

The five men left the kitchen and headed out into the shop gardens, where they stood beneath a flowering arbor. Tetsuya's head bowed as Kisuke began the traditional blessings, but he blinked in surprise and lifted his eyes to meet Renji's as the redhead's hand squeezed his. Ichigo continued to grin and Byakuya gave his intended a rare smile. As the blessings ended, the two couples joined hands and each recited his vows. They finished with a final blessing and Kisuke nodded in approval.

"By the power given me, I pronounce you partners in life, bonded in love, and joined in the pursuit of love, prosperity and happiness. Please exchange a kiss as the first gift of your new marriages."

Ichigo and Byakuya embraced tightly, kissing enthusiastically. Renji curled his arms more gently around Tetsuya, smiling warmly as he sought his new husband's soft lips. Tetsuya's slim body trembled slightly in reaction, but he pressed his lips warmly to Renji's and managed a little, shy smile as they parted.

The five men returned to the kitchen, where they found, to their surprise, that Tessai and the children had returned, and were finishing up the cooking and setting extra places at the table.

"What's going on, Boss?" Tessai asked, "I uh…saw something that looked suspiciously like a wedding going on out there."

"And I told him he must be dreaming," Jinta said, crossing his arms, "Cause everyone knows that Moocher would never get married to just one guy."

"Jinta," Ururu objected, "don't be rude!"

"Yeah," Renji snapped, scowling, "Don't be rude to Tetsuya or I'm gonna kick your ass around. You can pick on me, but I don't want you embarrassing Tetsuya."

"Whoa," Jinta said, smirking, "Watch out. Moocher's getting an attitude."

But he ceased his comments and joined the others at the table as the group sat down to eat.

"A toast to the happy couples," Kisuke said, raising his cup of tea, "May you have many long years of happiness."

Teacups clinked and the others added their sounds of approval.

Tetsuya felt Renji's eyes touching him, and looked back quietly.

 _What will I do_ , he wondered, _What will I do when we are alone…and Renji begins to make love to me?_

 _Will I be able to return his affections?_

 _I just don't know._

 _But…I will try._


	9. Wild Things

**Chapter 9: Wild Things**

Tetsuya waited, quietly watching as Tessai and the children served cake to everyone, and Kisuke poured out a round of drinks, then held up his glass, smiling widely.

"To all of the newlyweds," he said cheerfully, "best of luck to you."

The younger Kuchiki raised his glass with the others, but stopped short of letting the liquid inside touch his lips.

 _Although, maybe I should drink a bit to calm myself_ , he mused inwardly, a little flush rising on his face as he felt Renji's dark, cinnamon colored eyes watching him, _The living world alcohol won't affect the baby's reiatsu, so that isn't a problem. And besides, it's already getting dark outside. It won't be too long before we end the celebration and head to our bedrooms to consummate the marriages. I only hope that Renji doesn't feel offended that I'm so anxious. He says he understands, but how will it feel to him if I panic and find I can't go through with this?_

A shiver went through his slender body.

 _My head knows that Renji wouldn't force me if I panicked, but my heart feels like it will jump out of my chest!_

After the cake was consumed and the children had gone to bed, the toasts continued and Tetsuya quietly raised his glass, each time touching his lips to the golden liquid, but not drinking. He didn't miss the fact that Renji kept on stealing appraising looks at him. And it felt almost humiliating that the redhead looked more concerned about him than hungry for him.

 _I don't really want him to desire me, but I don't want his pity either. I barely trusted Naoki, and he was gentle. Renji is such a striking person, and one who comes from a violent place. It isn't his fault that his early life was like that, but how will it come across when we are intimate? What will he need to satisfy him?_

For just a moment, he was taken back to the grim horror of the abuse he had been subjected to before. Tetsuya felt sweat break out on his skin and his body shook softly. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the redhead leaned over and touched his arm, a moment later.

"Hey!" Renji exclaimed softly, raising his hands in a defensive motion, "sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh," Tetsuya managed, blushing furiously, "I am…it was f-fine. I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment. Is it time for us to…?"

"No," Renji said in a little, nervous laugh, "I just wanted to make sure you're okay. You went pretty pale and you're shaking, Tetsuya."

"It's hardly unexpected," Tetsuya pointed out, "I've made no secret of the fact that I feel anxious. But there's really nothing to be done about it. After all, who isn't nervous on their wedding day?"

Renji gave him a skeptical look.

"Most brides don't look like they're about to jump out of their skin at the sight of their husbands."

"Ahem," Byakuya said, clearing his throat meaningfully, "And what makes you assume that Tetsuya will _act the part of the bride_?"

Renji's breath caught in surprise, and Tetsuya went three shades darker red. Kisuke let a snicker escape him.

"What?" Ichigo laughed, "You think Renji's gonna let…erm, I mean…"

He broke off at the savage look that Byakuya gave him.

"Tetsuya is half Kuchiki, and therefore, holds a higher position in Soul Society," the Kuchiki leader argued, "If anyone is going to act the part of the groom…"

"B-byakuya-sama…!" Tetsuya objected.

"Uh…w-well, I uh…" Renji stammered his blush growing as bright as Tetsuya's, "I am a…an…ah…!"

Ichigo laughed harder.

"R-renji, are you telling me that even after all of the partners you've had, you never…?"

"Stop it!" Tetsuya shouted, "I'm not _doing that_ to someone!"

"This is not fit conversation for us to be having here," Byakuya warned the others, "But I will just say that it is presumptuous for Renji, or anyone else, to make _those kinds of assumptions_ about my cousin!"

Tetsuya gave the others a wounded look.

"It doesn't matter," he said shortly, "Everyone here knows that Renji is stronger and more experienced than I am. It only makes sense that he would place me in the weaker position in his mind. He's no different than anyone else in the way he judges me. And who are you to say he is wrong?"

He disappeared in a blazing flash step, leaving the others at the table staring at each other uncomfortably.

Renji let out a flustered breath and looked back at Byakuya.

"Look," he said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Taichou. You're right. I shouldn't have assumed. I didn't marry Tetsuya so that I could dominate him. We're going to be equal partners…in every way."

The others stared back at the redhead in stunned silence and Renji let out another sharp, disgusted breath.

"I'm gonna go and talk to him."

Byakuya glowered silently at the redhead's back as he exited the room.

"Heh," Kisuke chuckled anxiously, "well, I guess it's time to say our goodnights, ne?"

Kisuke looked from Byakuya to Ichigo, then chuckled again.

"I'll see you two in the morning," he said, turning to head out the door, "Good luck with those guys."

Byakuya gave Ichigo a scathing look.

"What?" Ichigo complained, "What did I do? I just asked a question."

"Yes," Byakuya snapped, "a poorly timed question that set off this mess. What were you thinking, talking about _that_ so casually?"

"Well, Renji was the one who referred to Tetsuya as a bride and set everything off. Then you said something before I did!"

"And you made things worse!" the Kuchiki leader hissed furiously, "Did it escape you that Tetsuya is _terrified_ of going to bed with Renji? And who in his situation wouldn't be? Tetsuya went through hell in Itamigiri with an abuser who sexually tortured him to the point that Tetsuya had no idea what a normal relationship would be like. His cellmate, Naoki, tried to cushion the blow, but there was little he could do, when his situation was as grave as Tetsuya's was. They really only comforted each other. I know with everything in me, that Tetsuya is not ready for this. And as well meaning as Renji is, he is likely to inadvertently make things worse!"

"Hey," Ichigo said, moving closer to Byakuya and sliding an arm around him, "I know Renji can be kinda thick-headed sometimes…okay, a lot of times! But, he's a good guy, Byakuya. You're his taichou. You know him. He's not going to hurt Tetsuya and he's not going to let anyone else hurt Tetsuya either."

Byakuya shook his head and sighed.

"I suppose you're right. It just annoyed me that both of you spoke so callously and unnerved Tetsuya when he was already plenty nervous about all of this."

Ichigo smiled and squeezed Byakuya's hand, kissing him on the cheek.

"I think that Tetsuya's not the only one who's nervous. You're a little shaky too, aren't you?"

Byakuya sighed and lowered his eyes.

"Perhaps," he admitted reluctantly, "Tell me, do you also look at me as weaker because I accept the more feminine role in our lovemaking?"

Ichigo scowled.

"What kind of a question is that?" he asked stridently, "We've already talked about this. I don't look down on you for letting me inside you, or for you being the one to carry our child."

"Then, why do you always…?"

He stopped as Ichigo's hand curved around his face, making the pale skin blush.

"I was waiting for you to go for it," he chuckled more playfully, "So, come on. Let's go to bed, and this time, if you want to make love to me, just flip me over, bite me on the ear and _go for it_!"

Ichigo's fingers trailed over the wicked little smile that rose onto the Kuchiki leader's usually solemn lips. Steel grey eyes peeked out from beneath Byakuya's lovely raven strands and locked on his warningly.

"You had better be careful what you ask for," the Kuchiki leader answered in a deep, seductive voice, "Shiba Ichigo."

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stepped out into the gardens behind Kisuke's shop, and almost immediately found himself nose to nose with his new husband's tall, black Arabian stallion. Arashi snorted derisively and glared through his long, tumbled forelock that strongly resembled Tetsuya's wavy hair.

 _Where do you think you are going?_ The stallion's voice whispered into Renji's mind.

"Where am I going?" Renji repeated, scowling, "I'm trying to find you pretty master because he took off again. Where is he, Fleabag? I need to talk to him."

Arashi snorted and stomped aggressively.

 _So far, it seems that talking to you has only resulted in my master being upset and seeking privacy to gather his thoughts. He doesn't need you putting pressure on him. He is anxious enough. Leave him alone, fool!_

"Now look, Fleabag," Renji snapped, "First off, it's none of your business what goes on between Tetsuya and me. Tetsuya and I are married. We can work out our differences without you sticking your horsey nose in. Secondly, I'm not going to upset Tetsuya. I'm not the one who set him off. Damned Ichigo shot his mouth off…"

 _That is not what I heard_ , Arashi said, his blue eyes darkening with mayhem.

"What? Were you listening in? Those must be pretty fucking sensitive ears you've got. Though, I guess being as big as they are…"

He yelped and stepped back in surprise as the stallion snapped at him, then raised both feet and stamped down harder on the ground in front of Renji.

 _Insult me or my master one more time_ , Arashi challenged him, _I want the chance to flatten you._

"What're you so pissed off at me for, anyway?" Renji complained, "I am trying to make Tetsuya feel better, not worse. At any rate, he shouldn't be alone. I'm his husband. I should be with him and helping to calm him."

 _You are after him to have sex with him. Tetsuya does not want to let you touch him!_

Renji crossed his arms and eyed the stallion skeptically.

"Tetsuya knows that if we want to validate our marriage, we both have to follow the rules of consummation. That isn't something I'm going to force on him. We agreed to do that when we exchanged vows. I swear, I will never, ever force myself on him. Not that it's any of your damned business, you big, stupid horse pie, but I _like_ Tetsuya. He's a beautiful, sweet, gentle person. No, he's more than that. He's also a strong protector, so he doesn't need you running interference for him. He may be quiet, and he might not enjoy showing people how powerful he really is, but he has a reputation for being, not just kind, but strong and smart. People call him Byakuya's right hand, and I know he earned that reputation with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I will never disrespect him. Right now, I just want to make sure that he's okay, and I want to help him get through the consummation. After that, I won't even ask him for sex. I just don't want anyone interfering with us and our kid. Once the marriage is binding, we can do what we want."

"So," Tetsuya's voice said suddenly, rising out of a hidden place behind his equine companion, "do you mean to say that, after tonight, you plan to be celibate, Renji? That doesn't sound like the playboy you are reputed to be. Or are you saying something else?"

Renji frowned, watching as Tetsuya emerged from behind Arashi and touched the stallion's shoulder, dismissing him. The horse gave Renji a look of warning and an equine raspberry before shimmering softly and fading into nothingness.

"I'm not going to cheat on you," Renji said with an edge of anger, "I told you that already. I'll be the best husband I can."

"And what if I can't satisfy you sexually?" Tetsuya insisted, "What will you do then?"

Renji threw up his arms and let out a flustered breath.

"I don't know!" he said in an agitated voice, "I'll do what other married guys do…watch porn and masturbate! What do you want me to do? What's going to make you trust me enough to get us through this? Tetsuya, I've fucked up a lot of times in my life, but I'm determined not to fuck this up."

"But you will," Tetsuya said quietly, "You and I will both fail. We are imperfect, broken beings, and we will make a lot of mistakes."

Renji's eyes softened, and he moved a step closer to Tetsuya.

"Then, we'll fix them together."

"It may take some time before I'm comfortable having sex with you," Tetsuya argued, "That isn't a fair thing to subject you to."

Renji moved closer, reaching for Tetsuya's hand.

"Who said that life was fair?" he asked, giving a stiff, sarcastic chuckle, "I think you and I know that it's not. Please trust me. Come on."

Tetsuya considered silently for several minutes, then hesitantly yielded a hand. He expected his husband to pull him towards the shop, but Renji looked into his blue eyes and smiled.

"What?" Tetsuya mused, giving him a mystified look, "Aren't you going to…?"

"You know," Renji interrupted, "A little birdie might have mentioned to me once, that Kuchiki Tetsuya…"

"Don't you mean, _Abarai_ Tetsuya?" the noble corrected him.

Renji's smile warmed.

"Abarai Tetsuya," he repeated, "I like that. Anyway, a little birdie might have told me that Abarai Tetsuya likes to be out in nature. In fact, I might have heard once that Tetsuya feels more comfortable wearing nothing at all out there."

"Who told you that?" Tetsuya objected.

Renji grinned.

"Taichou might've mentioned it once when we were on a mission and we were drinking some sake while spending a night out there, ourselves. He's proud of you, of your accomplishments, how you got so strong after everything you went through. He's especially proud that you manage to keep the stuffy elders from changing you."

"But I have changed."

"In some ways," Renji agreed, "Like me, you had to change some things. But, there were also some things that you held onto. One of them is that wild, untamed side of you."

Tetsuya's breath caught for a moment, and he gazed up into Renji's eyes, mesmerized by the redhead's words. Renji's fingers moved to untie the front of his uniform so that more of his tattoos were exposed.

"I have a side like that too," he confessed, "And I was thinking that maybe one of the good things that can come from us being together, is that we can share that side of ourselves with each other. What do you think about that?"

Tetsuya reeled as Renji's warm, masculine scent touched his senses, and his recently impregnated belly began to glow softly in response.

"I don't understand," Tetsuya managed, swaying slightly.

"I think you do," Renji said, slipping his arms around his slighter mate, "I feel what's happening in your body, Tetsuya."

"It's just because of the baby," Tetsuya argued.

"No, it's not," Renji assured him, caressing his cheek and looking down into Tetsuya's eyes, "It's something other people don't understand…you know, the ones who grew up in nice, normal families? They had it easier than we did, but there was a kind of freedom in being a kid in the Rukongai, just like there was a secret kind of freedom you found, even inside that prison. For me, it was not having anyone tell me what to do. I ran around like a wild thing with no one deciding how I would act or speak or dress. I know that you did things to rebel, didn't you?"

Tetsuya's eyes widened in reaction.

"See? I knew I was right. Tell me how you did it, Tetsuya. How did you keep that side of you alive?"

Tetsuya drew in a steadying breath.

"N-naoki and I slipped away to a corner of the gardens sometimes," he confessed softly, "And while the guards were not seeing us, we…he took me sexually, even though it was against the rules."

"Good," Renji praised him, "What else?"

"W-we got married," Tetsuya admitted, "Naoki put a flower in my hair and we took our vows by a little waterfall. Then, we made love. We were almost caught that time!"

"What else?" Renji urged him.

Tetsuya's lips curved into a brighter smile.

"When the guards were angry and threw me into the pit…it was this place in the darkest, coldest part of the prison. They would dig a hole and put us into it, covering it so that the light was blocked out, but leaving air holes so that we could breathe…so that they could hear us scream."

Renji's smile faded at the harsh description, but Tetsuya brightened even more.

"I never made a sound," he explained, "I learned that if I closed my eyes and didn't watch them lower the door over me, I could simply remove myself and imagine myself somewhere else. I could let my body go numb with cold and lie in that total darkness and near silence, but my inner eye would see whatever I dreamed of. I would think of being freed by Byakuya-sama, or going to live in the Rukongai with Naoki, raising our child. I never felt the urge to scream, because in those times, I felt there was hope."

Renji smiled and nodded, giving him a little kiss on the forehead, then a firmer one on the lips.

"What about us?" he asked softly, "You there's some hope there?"

Tetsuya took a deeper, shaky breath.

"I am thinking that there is," he offered solemnly, "I think I want there to be."

"Okay, come on, then."

Tetsuya took a step towards the house, only to feel Renji tug gently on his arm to stop him.

"Not there," the redhead said quietly, "Take me to a place where you feel strong, Tetsuya, where you feel at home. And when we get there, I want you to make love to me."


End file.
